


Dreamwalkers

by Data_Girl_3



Series: There's Always a Crisis [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 21:51:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9291098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Data_Girl_3/pseuds/Data_Girl_3
Summary: While off on the Enchanted Forest expedition, tasked with securing the items remaining in Rumpelstiltskin's vault to ensure they won't fall into the wrong hands, Belle is attacked by a dream demon and trapped in a perpetual sleep.  In order to save her, Jefferson and Ruby seek the help of a powerful sorceress who states that the only hope of reviving their friend is if someone enters into Belle's dream and defeat the demon from within the dream world.





	1. The Ogre

Ruby woke up to find the room was still dark, the only light coming from the moon shining from outside. She was about to roll over to fall back asleep when she noticed the bed next to her was empty. She sat up and looked around, finally spotting Belle across the room, gazing out the window. With a concerned look on her face, Ruby climbed out of her cot to join Belle at the window, making sure her red cloak was secure around her shoulders.

“Belle?” she asked. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Belle replied, turning to look back at her friend. “It’s just… a bit strange to be back here again, after so long. It’s a bit eerie, especially at night. Sometimes, I wake up to hear a noise in the hall, and… I think it might be _him_. And for a brief moment, I try to remember if I finished all the chores he gave me, and… I’m sorry. I know I’m being foolish.”

“Hey, hey,” Ruby soothed, pulling Belle into a comforting hug. “It’s okay. You have nothing to be sorry about. I know it can’t be easy for you to be back here.”

It had been a few months since the Enchanted Forest mission had begun. After Mr. Gold had died stopping Pan from taking over Storybrooke, Belle had brought up a concern about the items he’d stored in his vault back in the Enchanted Forest. To ensure the artifacts wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands, an expedition had been organized to journey to the Dark One’s castle and secure the items that were kept in Rumpelstiltskin’s vault. While the majority of the expedition consisted of select members of The Sisters of Saint Meissa, on account of them being innate magic users who could properly examine the artifacts, Belle, Ruby, Jefferson and Leroy had also volunteered to go along.

“Why didn’t you say you were having trouble being back here?” Ruby asked. “You shouldn’t force yourself to stay in a situation that makes you uncomfortable. No one here would think less of you if you needed to back out.”

“It’s okay,” Belle insisted. “Some things are more important. I’ve spent more time in this castle than anyone else, so I’m the best suited to help everyone find their way around. And how to avoid any booby traps Rumpelstiltskin set up to deter intruders in his absence. Not that anyone would willingly try to break in. Besides, I heard from Sister Astrid that we should be finished clearing out the vault tomorrow.”

“Well, would you like to at least come for a walk?” Ruby invited. “A bit of fresh air might help settle your mind and make falling asleep again.”

“That sounds good,” Belle agreed, allowing Ruby to usher her out of the room.

* * *

Jefferson stifled a sudden yawn as he made his way down the vacant corridor, heading towards the chamber that had been turned into the expedition’s dormitory. However, as he rounded a corner, he froze when he heard the sound of a loose stone tile shifting beneath someone’s foot.

“Who’s there?” Jefferson demanded, turning to look over his shoulder, seeing nothing but dark corridors. After a moment of silence, however, Leroy stepped out of the shadows. “Leroy? What are you doing up?”

“Better question,” Leroy retorted, eyeing him in suspicion. “Why are _you_ doing wandering around?” 

“I was heading back to the dormitories,” Jefferson replied, eyes narrowing at Leroy’s tone. “One of the fairies came and relieved me of sentry duty, so I was going to get some sleep.”

“Oh, is that right?” Leroy probed, still glaring at him. “Back to the dormitories.” Letting out an irritated huff, Jefferson rolled his eyes.

“Okay, what is your problem, dwarf?” he demanded. In that moment, he was seized by a sudden suspicion. “Wait, were you _tailing_ me?”

“Listen here, Hatter,” Leroy ordered. “The others might be willing to believe you’re trustworthy, but I haven’t forgotten how you used to be in league with Rumpelstiltskin.”

“That was a long time ago,” Jefferson countered. “Our partnership ended when Grace was born.”

“So you say,” Leroy commented with a shrug. “But that didn’t seem to stop you from holding Emma and Mary Margret at gunpoint.”

“I was never going to hurt them,” Jefferson argued. “I was only trying to get my daughter back.”

“And another thing,” Leroy went on, showing no indication that he heard what Jefferson said. “There’s also the matter of what you did to Belle.”

“What, you mean when I freed her from her cell in the psychiatric ward?”

“Well, if you were able to do that, you clearly knew she was there,” Leroy pointed out. “So, why didn’t you do anything about it sooner? You only freed Belle when you did because you were using her, to get Gold to kill Regina for you. You and I both know that. So you better believe I’m going to be keeping an eye on you.”

“Yeah, you do that,” Jefferson snapped, turning and continuing on his way.

As Jefferson stormed his way towards the dormitory, he felt the annoyance still boiling away in his mind. What did it matter that he once worked with Rumpelstiltskin at one point? Why would that give Leroy reason to question his reliability? No one questioned Dr. Hopper’s allegiance, despite how he was once roped into doing work for the man in question years ago. Neither was Dr. Whale. Not to mention the occasions where Emma and her parents made deals with him. Why was _he_ the only one on trial?

His irritation hadn’t subsided when he passed by a broken window. Almost by instinct, Jefferson glanced outside, immediately spotting movement outside. Curiosity getting the better of him, he stopped in his tracks and moved closer to the window to get a better look. The outer courtyard was illuminated by the light of the moon, enabling Jefferson to clearly make out Belle and Ruby walking about. In spite of the residual resentment from Leroy’s accusations, Jefferson felt a small smile appear on his face. While he couldn’t deny Belle was always beautiful, there was something about the moonlight illuminating her skin and hair that seemed to highlighted it.

Out of nowhere, he felt the stirrings of guilt inside his chest. Leroy had been right about one thing. When he’d freed Belle, he wasn’t thinking of her at all. It really _had_ been done out of a desire to get back at Regina for going back on her word to reunite him with Grace. But now that he’d gotten to know Belle, and grown as close to her as he did, he wished there was a way to go back to free her from that cell sooner. Now, the very thought of Belle- beautiful, vibrant, brave Belle- being stuck in that cell, day in and day out, for all those years; it made him sick to his stomach.

Jefferson was still watching the two women from the window when he heard urgent footfalls coming down the hall. He looked up just in time to see the fairy that had just relieved him of sentry duty dashing down the hall, an urgent look on her face.

“Hey, slow down! What’s wrong?” he asked, stopping her by grasping her arm as she passed.

“I need to wake up the other fairies to put up a protective barrier around the castle,” the fairy explained urgently. “I just spotted an ogre lurking about outside. We need to make sure it can’t find its way inside.” Jefferson instantly felt as if his heart skipped a beat, turning to look outside where Belle and Ruby were still walking about.

“No,” he whispered, fear filling his voice. Before the fairy could say anything, he turned and raced off, heading for the stairs leading down to the foyer.

* * *

Outside, Ruby and Belle were making their way through the courtyard’s neglected gardens. Belle was just about to say she was feeling better when Ruby stiffened, grabbing onto Belle’s wrist firmly.

“Ruby?” Belle spoke, taken aback at how tight Ruby’s grip was. “What’s...?”

“Shhh,” Ruby whispered in warning, looking around urgently. “Belle, we need to get back inside. Quickly.”

“What’s wrong?” Belle asked, feeling mounting trepidation at Ruby’s behavior. Before Ruby could reply, there was an ear shattering sound of wood splitting.

“Quick!” Ruby exclaimed urgently, herding Belle to one of the stone planters. The moment they ducked behind it, an ogre stepped into view, Belle only just managing to keep herself from gasping in shock at the sight of it.

From their hiding place, Ruby and Belle watched as the ogre lumbered around the courtyard, completely ignorant of their presence. It was only when Belle felt Ruby touch her shoulder that she tore her horrified eyes away from the creature. Wordlessly Ruby pointed the door of the nearby castle keep, gesturing for Belle to follow her. Swallowing nervously, Belle nodded in understanding and carefully crawled out from behind the planter, following after Ruby as quietly as possible. Just as Belle was about to reach the steps leading up to the front door, the sound of the ogre’s growls made her glance over her shoulder to see the ogre was slowly making its way towards them. Letting out a whimper of panic, Belle quickly changed direction and attempted to hide behind a nearby bush. She instantly regretted her decision when she accidentally disturbed a large pebble, which rolled across the tiles that formed a walkway. The sudden sound immediately caught the ogre’s attention, who let out a grunt before making its way towards Belle’s hiding place. Belle, now shaking like a leaf, covered her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound of her breathing, but to no avail. She could even feel the bush starting to move from the ogre’s breath.

“HEY!” a voice suddenly cried out. “OVER HERE!”

Belle’s eyes widened in shock as her head snapped over towards the direction of the voice. Jefferson was standing a close distance away, waving his arms and shouting to get the ogre’s attention. His efforts proved to be successful, as the ogre let out a loud roar and lurched forward, heading straight for Jefferson, who promptly turned and ran off, leading the ogre away from the bush where Belle had been hiding.

Heart hammering away in his throat, Jefferson continued to lure the ogre away, racing out through the castle gates, through the remnants of the now-broken wooden door. As he reached the footpath, he altered his direction to make his way to the nearby trees, planning to lose the creature among the sea of evergreens. Seconds before he could reach it, however, the ogre’s massive hand reached out to swipe at his retreating figure. While the ogre wasn’t able to grab him, the tips of the creature’s fingers brushed against Jefferson’s back, knocking him to the ground. Before he could get back up again. Jefferson realized the shadow of the ogre was now looming over him. Letting out a sigh of acceptance, he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the blow that was surely coming. But to his surprise, the attack never came. Instead, there was a fearsome growling snarl that rang out, followed by the ogre bellowing in pain. In amazed confusion, Jefferson braved a glance over his shoulder to see a large grey wolf clinging to the ogre’s back, biting and snapping away at its neck and shoulder. When the ogre had stumbled back a few feet, the wolf leapt away and made a beeline towards Jefferson, stopping just inches away from him. For the briefest moment, Jefferson was too stunned to move, but when the wolf looked at him expectantly with discerning eyes, he realized instantly that this was no ordinary wolf. Sparing one cautious look at the ogre, who was regaining its bearings, Jefferson scrambled to his feet and climbed atop the wolf’s back. Once Jefferson was settled, the wolf took off running, heading back towards the castle. The instant Jefferson and the wolf had made it past the gates, a handful of fairies, who had been standing by waiting, magically erected a barrier over the broken door, making it impossible for the ogre to find its way back inside.

Upon realizing they were actually safe, Jefferson slid off the wolf’s back, dropping to his hands and knees as he struggled to catch his breath, his adrenaline running out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the fairies step forward to drape a familiar red cloak over the wolf. Within seconds, the wolf had transformed back into Ruby.

“Thank you, Ruby,” Jefferson sighed, casting a grateful smile up at her.

“If you’ll forgive the pun, _are you mad_?” Ruby retorted, glaring at Jefferson in annoyance. “What were you _thinking_ , making that ogre chase after you? Do you realize what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten there in time?”

“Belle was….” Jefferson trailed off when he caught sight of Belle, who was sitting by the front steps of the castle keep, with her head down and her knees up to her chest. She was showing no sign that she noticed anyone. Not even Leroy and Sister Astrid, who appeared to be comforting her.

“Did you forget I was there?” Ruby questioned. “And that I was no doubt already taking off my cloak to transform?”

“Actually, I forgot you were a werewolf,” Jefferson admitted. “I didn’t remember that detail until you appeared in wolf form.”

“In other words, you panicked and jumped in recklessly,” Ruby stated. However, she was smiling in understanding. “Well, I guess I can’t really hold it against you. And I do appreciate how determined you were to keep her safe.” Without another word, Ruby swung an arm around Jefferson’s shoulder, giving him a sisterly hug. “For the record, I’m glad you’re safe, too.”

“That makes two of us,” Jefferson responded. However, he had eyes only for Belle, who had still not moved an inch from her spot on the stair.

Catching on to the direction of his thoughts, Ruby began to coax everyone back inside to leave the pair alone. While Leroy needed a little extra convincing, Sister Astrid eventually managed to talk him into stepping back into the castle keep. Finally, the only people left outside were Jefferson and Belle.

“Belle, are you okay?” Jefferson asked, growing concerned how she hadn’t even looked up at him yet. For a moment, Belle showed no indication that she’d heard him, but then she began to speak.

“Did you ever hear about how I lost my mother?” she asked.

“No, you’ve never told me about her,” Jefferson said.

“During the ogre wars, they ended up attacking our family’s manor. When the guards were trying to evacuate everyone, Mother and I were trying to gather up books from the library. You see…my mother loved books as much as I do. In fact, she was the one who helped me fall in love with books in the first place. Anyway…Mother couldn’t stand the thought of the books being damaged by the attacking ogres, so she was determined to save as many as possible. Before we could rejoin Father, an ogre broke into the library where we were working. My mother shielded me from the ogres, giving the guards the chance to get me to safety…sacrificing her life in the process.”

“Oh, Belle,” Jefferson sighed heavily, dropping to his knees in front of her. “I’m sorry.”

“My mother died to protect me from the ogres,” Belle stated, finally lifting her tearstained face up to look Jefferson in the eye. “And tonight….I thought I was going to lose _you_ the same way.”

“I’m sorry,” Jefferson repeated, fully realizing what he’d inadvertently put her through tonight. “When I heard there was an ogre about, and saw you were outside, I….”

“I know,” Belle replied. “I know why you did what you did. And…. I do thank you for trying to save me. Just…promise me you won’t scare me like that again, okay? If that ogre had gotten you like my mother, I’d….”

“Shhh,” Jefferson instructed gently, reaching out to cup her cheek. “I know.”

Out of nowhere, Belle let out a choked sob and she lunged forward, throwing her arms around Jefferson as she broke down, burying her face in his chest as she cried. In response, Jefferson pulled her closer, rubbing a consoling hand up and down her back.


	2. Music Box

The following morning found the group within the final chamber of Rumpelstiltskin’s vault, scouring through various shelves and drawers for any artifact that might have been tucked away. In one corner of the room, Jefferson managed to dislodge a rather strange looking book that was wedged in a wooden desk’s compartment. Briefly, he took a moment to examine the book’s appearance. At first glance, it appeared to be an old leather bound book, but what should have been leather felt disturbingly like human skin. And when he looked closely at the front cover, he thought he could just make out what appeared to be a distorted face. Feeling a sudden thrill of foreboding, Jefferson quickly deposed the book in the pile of artifacts that were to be transported to the fairies’ examination room for proper analysis.

Before he could go back to searching for other items, he found himself face to face with Sister Astrid.

“Jefferson, I’d like to apologize in Leroy’s stead,” she said. “I heard what he said to you last night.”

“It’s okay,” Jefferson said, waving away the apology, thinking back to the dwarf’s accusations behind his motive for freeing Belle. “He wasn’t completely wrong.”

“Belle didn’t think so,” Sister Astrid pointed out with a gentle smile. When she saw Jefferson look back at her in curiosity, she went on. “I actually overheard them talking this morning, before breakfast. Belle somehow found out about your argument with Leroy. She made it quite clear that- and this is a direct quote- ‘ _if you don’t trust Jefferson, then you don’t trust me_.’”

“She said that?” Jefferson asked, visibly taken aback.

“I’m sure Leroy would have apologized to you himself, but he’s much too proud to do so.” Sister Astrid stated. “So I’m apologizing to you for him.”

Jefferson, however, didn’t hear what Sister Astrid said. He was too busy glancing over at Belle, who was currently searching through a glass door cabinet. He hadn’t realized that she had that much faith in him. He’d thought only Grace believed in him that much.

Unaware that Jefferson’s gaze was affixed on her, Belle continued to search through the cabinet, using a footstool to reach the top shelf. As she ran her hand across the shelf, feeling around for any sort of object, her fingers brushed against the back of the cabinet. Immediately, she heard the sound of a low click, not unlike the sound of a toggle switch being flipped. Pulling her hand away slightly, she saw a small section of the cabinet tilt towards her. In a matter of seconds, Belle realized she had found a secret compartment within the old cabinet.

After glancing over her shoulder, only to see no one had noticed her discovery, Belle peered into the hidden compartment to see what had been tucked away back there. As a result, she discovered an old but still beautiful box. Upon taking it out for a better look, she noticed it had a small crank on one side. Right away, she realized that it was a music box. But when she turned her head to call everyone’s attention to what she’d found, she was struck by a sudden urge to wind up the music box. Almost robotically, she looked back at the music box and slowly turned the crank. When the music box had been wound up, she undid the latch and lifted the lid. Right away, the most haunting melody she’d ever heard filled the air, and she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the music box’s inner workings. Without even realizing it, she began to sway from side to side, almost in time with the music. However, in the back of her mind, she thought she could just make out voices calling her name. At first, they sounded cautious, almost concerned, but then they became more urgent. But the voices all sounded muffled, as if they were coming from a long way off. Out of nowhere, she was vaguely aware of someone puling the music box out of her hands, but the moment she could no longer feel the weight of the box in her grasp, her head fell backward, and she remembered nothing else.

* * *

 

“Belle!” Jefferson cried out, catching her as she fell and carefully lowering her unresponsive form to the floor. “Belle? _Belle_!”

“What’s wrong with her?” Leroy shouted. “She’s not waking up!”

“I think it was this,” Sister Astrid speculated, holding up the music box, which she’d quickly latched shut upon pulling it away from Belle. “I think…something about the melody put some sort of spell or curse on her.”

“You’re not saying it’s a sleeping curse, are you?!” Jefferson exclaimed, tangible worry for her on his face.

“Everyone, back up!” Ruby demanded, stepping forward decisively. “Give her room! Don’t crowd her!”

While Leroy and the fairies obediently backed away slightly, Jefferson refused to move, still holding the unresponsive Belle in his arms. Not deterred by this, Ruby wordlessly pulled out a small dagger from her belt and carefully held the blade beneath Belle’s nose. Her shoulders slumped in relief when she saw the small bit of fog forming on the dagger.

“It’s okay,” she announced. “She’s not under a sleeping curse.”

“What makes you so sure?” Jefferson asked.

“When Snow was under a sleeping curse, she had no breath,” Ruby explained. “But Belle is still breathing. So we can rule out that possibility. This is something else.”

“What else could it be?” one of the nearby fairies asked in concern. “What did the music box do to her?”

“I don’t know,” Sister Astrid admitted, staring at the music box. “Jefferson, you did business with the Dark One once. Do you recognize this?”

“No,” Jefferson replied, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen that before. For all I know, Rumpelstiltskin obtained that thing before I was even born. You fairies are the magic users, shouldn’t _you_ have an idea of what happened to Belle?”

“None of us has ever come across an artifact like this before,” another fairy stated. “Perhaps, if Mother Superior was here, she would know. But she’s back in Storybrooke.”

Getting an idea, Jefferson repositioned his hold on Belle so he could reach into his pocket to pull out his enchanted compact mirror, which Emma had given him before he left so he could stay in contact with his daughter, Grace.

“Grace?” he called, looking into the compact mirror. “Grace, are you there?”

“Papa!” Grace’s face appeared within the mirror moments later, smiling widely upon seeing her father. “How are things going? Do you think you’ll be home soon?”

Jefferson opened his mouth to speak, but he froze, glancing down at Belle’s face. He’d momentarily forgotten that Grace had come to like Belle quite a lot. How was he supposed to explain things without upsetting her? Unfortunately, Grace seemed to pick up on his anxiety, as her face fell in worry.

“Papa? Is something wrong?”

“No!” Jefferson exclaimed, a bit too quickly. “I mean…Grace, please listen. I can’t really explain right now, but we’ve stumbled across something in Rumpelstiltskin’s vault. We need to speak to Mother Superior about it. Could you please take your mirror over to her? It’s really important.” If Grace was upset that Jefferson wasn’t actually explaining what was going on, she didn’t show it. Instead, she agreed to go see Mother Superior.

As Grace left her cursed parents’ house to go to the convent, Jefferson passed the compact mirror over to Sister Astrid.

“Here,” he said, getting to his feet while picking Belle up. “You can explain to Mother Superior.”

“Where are you going?” she asked as Jefferson started to carry Belle off.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he replied. “I’m taking her to the dormitories. Until we know what to do to wake her up, we should make sure she’s as comfortable as possible.” With that, Jefferson was out of the room, with Leroy and Ruby close behind him.

* * *

It felt like hours had passed since Belle had fallen unconscious after hearing the strange music box’s melody. She was currently lying on her bed within the dormitory, with Jefferson, Ruby and Leroy keeping vigil while their waited for news. Finally, Sister Astrid and three other fairies entered the room.

“Well?” Ruby asked without preamble. “What did you find out?”

“It’s not good,” Sister Astrid began. “Mother Superior hasn’t encountered the music box in question before, but she _had_ heard stories about a cursed music box, back when she was still a novice fairy. There’s an ancient legend that spoke of the Oneiroi, who had existed even before the gods themselves. They were essentially dream weavers, responsible for creating our dreams. But one of the Oneiroi, who was known as Epiales, rebelled against his brothers and began creating dreams that seemed so real, the person dreaming would believe they were actually awake, and therefore never wake up again. Epiales was finally stopped when a great sorcerer managed to trap the demon within a music box. But, as the legend goes, Epiales is still conscious within the music box. And whoever is unfortunate enough to listen to the music box’s song will fall asleep, and be subjected to a never-ending dream.”

“There has to be a way to wake her up, though,” Leroy said.

“Mother Superior thinks the only one who _could_ help is the sorcerer who originally trapped the demon within the music box, but he seemingly vanished centuries ago,” Sister Astrid stated in sorrow.

“Although, there _have_ been rumors,” another fairy pointed out. “There is a kingdom that is located beyond the borders of the Enchanted Forest. They say a sorceress lives there, who claims to have received instruction from the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived. If it was the same sorcerer who trapped Epiales….”

“Then she might know how to wake up Belle,” Jefferson concluded. “Where is this kingdom? How do we find this sorceress?”

“We have maps down in the examination room,” Sister Astrid announced. “Surely we can locate the kingdom with those. Once we know how far off it is, we’ll be able to know what provisions to make, and how many days we’ll have to travel.”

“There’s no need for that,” Ruby stated. “It’s still Wolf’s Time, if you recall. You’d be surprised how quickly I can travel as a wolf. I’m sure I can get Belle there in the least amount of time.”

“I’m going with you,” Jefferson volunteered, a determined glint in his eye.

“I had a feeling you’d say that,” Ruby said with a knowing smile. “Okay, Sister Astrid. Show us these maps. I’ll need to memorize them quickly, so we can leave at sunset.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The music box that Belle found was very loosely based on the dybbuk box. But the Oneiroi and Epiales are actual beings in Greek mythology. Since it's been established that Zeus, Hades, Poseidon and Nyx exist in the OUAT universe, it stands to reason they would, too.
> 
> Also, if anyone can correctly guess what book Jefferson stumbled across in this chapter, I'll give you a virtual brownie.


	3. The Sorceress

Ruby scanned over the map once again in an effort to ascribe as much of it to memory as possible before turning to leave the room, slinging the haversack that had been filled with food, drink and other necessary supplies over her shoulder. As she started to make her way down the hall, she ran into Leroy, who was carrying a haversack of his own.

“Leroy? What are you doing?’ Ruby asked, glancing at his haversack in confusion.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going with you, to help save Belle,” Leroy replied with conviction. Ruby sighed in response.

“Hey, it’s not that we don’t appreciate that you want to help, but….it would probably be best if you stayed here.”

“Why’s that?” he demanded. “You think I don’t want to be there for Belle?”

“No, I realize you want to help, and I’m sure Belle would appreciate it,” Ruby said in understanding. “But I’ll already be carrying Jefferson and Belle atop my back. I just don’t think there’ll be enough room for you, too. You’d most likely just fall off while I’m running and end up hurting yourself.”

“Hmmph,” Leroy huffed, unable to think of a counter argument to that. “Fine. Just promise you’ll be careful. And….make sure you bring her back safely.”

Ruby directed a gentle smile at the dwarf, noticing the worry slipping into his expression as he finished his request. It was times like this that she remembered Leroy and Belle had been friends briefly, back before the Dark Curse had been cast.

“Don’t worry,” she reassured. “We’ll find this sorceress and come back before you know it. All three of us.”

* * *

Jefferson sat unmoving from Belle’s bedside, unable to tear his eyes away from her sleeping form. Every so often, he had to reach out to lightly place his hand over her chest, just to reassure himself that she was still breathing. It was the only thing he could do to wipe away the mental image that kept appearing in his mind’s eye, of a woman with long red hair, lying motionless in his arms.

“Belle,” he whispered. “If you can hear me, hold on. We’re going to find a way to wake you up. Believe me.”

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Glancing over, Jefferson saw Ruby was standing in the doorway, looking back at him.

“It’s time to go,” she announced. Nodding wordlessly in acknowledgement, Jefferson got to his feet, gently gathering Belle up in his arms and carrying her off as he followed Ruby out of the castle and into the courtyard outside. Sister Astrid, Leroy, and a few other fairies were already waiting outside to see them off.

An almost somber feel was in the air as Ruby discarded her red cloak, which Leroy promptly folded up and tucked away within the haversack. Hardly anyone batted an eye as the young woman’s shape shifted into the large grey wolf.

“You know where you’re going, right?” Sister Astrid asked, stepping forward to casually run her hand across the back of the wolf’s neck. In response, Wolf Ruby let out a low huff, jerking her head in an affirmative manner. “Okay, then. Good luck. Both of you.”

“Thanks, Astrid,” Jefferson replied, stepping forward and managing to climb atop Wolf Ruby’s back while keeping a firm but gentle hold on Belle. Once Wolf Ruby was sure the pair were settled and secured, she got to her feet. After allowing the chance for Leroy to pass the haversack up to Jefferson, she turned and trotted towards the castle gates. But the moment the fairies had opened them, she broke out into a full-on run, quickly vanishing into the night.

When Wolf Ruby and her passengers were out of sight, the fairies solemnly turned and headed back inside the castle. But Sister Astrid paused when she noticed Leroy was not following after them.

“Aren’t you coming?” she asked, stepping over to his side.

“I still don’t like it,” Leroy admitted. “I know what Belle said this morning, but… how can we be sure Jefferson was the right person to go with Ruby on this one?”

“If anyone can be counted on ensuring Belle is saved from Epiales,” Sister Astrid replied, “I can think of no one better than Jefferson.”

“And what makes you so sure of that? Considering none of us really knew the first thing about him before that whole mess with the wicked witch, I…..”

“Dreamy,” Sister Astrid interrupted, with Leroy instantly freezing up upon hearing her call him by that name. “I’d have thought you’d know by now. When it comes to the people we deeply care about, _some people_ refuse to be deterred by the obstacles. Even when the obstacles are caused by listening to the skeptical words of others.”

Leroy grimaced in guilt as he realized what Sister Astrid was talking about. But when he turned to face her, she was already walking off.

* * *

Jefferson glanced over his shoulder at the moon, which was starting to drop pretty low in the sky.

“You doing alright there, Ruby?” he asked, addressing the wolf who was still dashing through the trees. “I just realized we’ve been traveling all night. Granted I don’t know much about werewolves, but I can’t help wondering about how long you can go without sleep.” In response, Wolf Ruby let out a distinctive snuffing sound through her nose. Somehow, Jefferson was able to understand the meaning behind that to be _‘I can cope_.’

“Sorry, just thought I’d ask,” Jefferson replied in a chastised tone.

However, a few minutes later, Wolf Ruby suddenly stopped short. Jefferson was just opening his mouth to ask if she’d changed her mind when he noticed Wolf Ruby’s ears were on alert, and she seemed to be looking around, staring off into the night.

“What’s wrong?” Jefferson whispered, trying to see anything lurking amongst the trees. Wolf Ruby replied only with a low growl, crouching down. Catching on to the nonverbal instruction, Jefferson slid off Ruby’s back, allowing the wolf to begin circling around the area, her hackles raised. Concerned for Belle’s safety, and slightly discouraged that he couldn’t see too well with the moonlight concealed by the forest canopy, Jefferson carefully lowered Belle to the ground to free his hands in order to make a torch. Just as he was starting to root through the haversack to locate a flint and steel, a distinct hissing sound was heard, and an unexpected light sprang up mere inches from his face. The suddenness of the light appearing caused Jefferson to stumble back in alarm, and Wolf Ruby was at his side in seconds, growling menacingly at the woman who was standing before them. The light, they could now see, was emanating from her handle of her wooden staff.

“It appears you’ve come a long way,” the mysterious woman announced, showing no sign of being intimidated by the sight of a large grey wolf starling at her. “What brings you all the way out here at this untimely hour?”

Very briefly, Jefferson shared a look with Ruby, but Ruby quickly returned her gaze towards the woman, making it necessary for Jefferson to explain the situation

“We came to find help,” he said. “Our friend, Belle, stumbled across a cursed music box that housed a dream demon named Epiales.”

“Epiales, you say?” the woman exclaimed, suddenly interested. “Well, isn’t that unfortunate?”

“You’ve heard of the demon?”

“That name is not unknown. The true question is what you planned to do about it.”

“We heard that the sorcerer who trapped Epiales in the music box was from this kingdom. We thought, if anyone could know how to wake Belle up….”

“Oh, if you’re looking for the Sorcerer, then I’m afraid you’re out of luck,” the woman laughed. “He isn’t known for _branching out_ these days.”

“Yes, we’ve heard that he’d vanished,” Jefferson replied, getting the feeling that he was being purposely left out of a joke. “But there are rumors that he had a student that still lived around here.”

“Oh, there is,” the woman confirmed. “You may call me Morgan le Fay.”

“ _You’re_ the Sorceress?”

“And I would prefer to not discuss things further while we’re out in the open like this,” Morgan le Fay stated. “My house is not far from here; we can talk there.”

* * *

A short time later, Jefferson and Ruby, who was back in her human form, stood by while Morgan le Fay examined Belle, who had been placed on a bed lined with animal pelts.

“After the Sorcerer trapped that demon within the music box, he entrusted it to me,” Morgan le Fay explained as she worked. “I’d still have it too, if that accursed Dark One hadn’t set his sights on it and made it his intention to claim it for himself. And now? Here’s the woman who was his lover, fallen prey to that very same music box. How’s _that_ for irony. I wonder how he’s taking it.”

“He wouldn’t know,” Jefferson said. “Rumpelstiltskin died a few months back.”

“Did he now? Well, that’s interesting.”

After a few more moments, in which the Sorceress worked in silence, she finally glanced up again.

“This was indeed the work of Epiales,” Morgan le Fay stated. “Your friend is trapped within a dream world that has been elaborately created to resemble reality, right down to the uninterrupted passage of time. Unless something is done, she will _never_ realize that she isn’t awake, and therefore remain asleep for eternity.”

“Is there anything you can do?” Ruby asked as Morgan le Fay continued to hover over Belle. “How can we make her realize that she’s dreaming?”

“Hmm,” Morgan le Fay muttered to herself, crossing the room to a table covered by a jumbled mess of glass vials and bottles. “There is a way to revive the woman, but it will not be as easy as you might think. And it will largely depend on one of you.”

“What do we have to do?” Jefferson inquired.

“I can create a special potion that will enable the drinker to infiltrate the dream world Epiales has placed her in,” Morgan le Fay announced, grinding up a various assortment of herbs with a mortar and pestle. “Once within the dreamworld, it will be up to you to find Miss Belle and convince her that she is dreaming. Of course, Epiales is not likely to release his grip on her without a fight, so once you convince Miss Belle of the truth, you’ll need to be prepared to take _him_ on, too.”

As Morgan le Fay finished her instructions, she returned to Belle’s side, placing a hand atop her forehead. She began muttering an incantation, speaking too softly for Jefferson and Ruby to make out the words. But a strange silvery blue mist began to seep out of her nose, with the sorceress collecting it in a crystal vial that had suddenly appeared in her hand. As Jefferson and Ruby watched, she added the crushed up herbs to the mist. After swirling the vial to mix the contents together, she turned to the pair.

“So, which of you want to volunteer?”

“I’ll do it,” Jefferson stepped up without hesitation taking the vial from Morgan le Fay.

“Jefferson?” Ruby gaped, visibly taken aback at how readily he agreed to drink the potion. “Do you know…?”

“I can do this, Ruby,” Jefferson insisted, taking a seat on the bed next to Belle.

“But…”

“Besides,” Jefferson interrupted, quickly lowered his voice to speak covertly. “I know she appears to be helping us, but that doesn’t mean this Morgan le Fay doesn’t have some ulterior motive. Someone needs to stay here to keep an eye on her. And I think of no one better than you.”

“Okay,” Ruby agreed. “Just be careful in there.”

“So,” Jefferson began, returning his attention to Morgan le Fay. “I just drink this potion, and I’ll be sent into Belle’s dream?”

“You sure you want to go through with this?” Morgan le Fay asked. “Think carefully now. Even though you’ll be asleep, you’ll need to exercise caution. The demon will undoubtedly try anything in its power to stop you. And be warned, everything that happens to you within the dream world will affect your actual body.”

“Wait, you mean….if Jefferson dies in this dream world, then….?” Ruby asked, looking between them in visible concern.

“That would be correct,” Morgan le Fay confirmed. “So, Hatter, do you still wish to go through with this? If you fail, think of what would happen to your pretty little daughter.”

For a long moment, Jefferson didn’t say a word, simply staring at the vial of potion in his hand. Finally, he took a shaky breath.

“I’m not losing Belle like I lost Priscilla,” he stated. “Not when I can do something about it. Besides. If Grace knew I didn’t even _try_ to save Belle, she’d never forgive me.”

With that, Jefferson downed the potion in one gulp. Right away, he felt lethargic and had to struggle to keep his eyes open. Not even fighting it, he simply laid down next to Belle’s prone body. Before he completely lost consciousness, he turned to glance at her one more time, reaching out to take hold of her hand. The moment he curled his fingers around hers, the potion took hold and he closed his eyes in repose.


	4. Entering the Dream World

The first thing Jefferson was aware of was the feeling of something tickling his nose. Opening his eyes, he found he was lying on the ground in the middle of a forest. The thing that was tickling his nose turned out to be a patch of moss. After getting over the feeling of disorientation, he slowly got to his feet, brushing off his clothes. But in doing so, he noticed something that made him pause. Glancing down to confirm his suspicions, he saw he was no longer wearing the clothes he'd been wearing when he drank Morgan le Fay's potion. Instead, he was dressed the way he used to dress, when he was still a portal-jumping thief, right down to the red vest and long coat. As he took in his unexpected wardrobe change, he felt his leg brush against something. When he looked over to see what it was, his eyes widened at the sight of his old hat, completely restored.

"Hello, old friend," Jefferson spoke softly, picking the hat up. Once he tucked the hat under his arm, he started walking, hoping to locate Belle. If this was the Dream World, then she had to be around here somewhere. He just had to locate her.

As he made his way through the woods, he began to realize his surroundings seemed somewhat familiar. But it wasn't until he reached an overlook that he realized why. There, a close distance away, was Rumpelstiltskin's castle. The Dream World, it appeared, was completely identical to the Enchanted Forest. Despite his initial surprise at that observation, he quickly decided that it only made sense. Morgan le Fay had said that this Dream World had been designed to keep Belle from even realizing she was dreaming. What better way to do that than make her think she was in a location she was familiar with?

With that thought in mind, Jefferson began making his way towards the castle. If he was going to locate Belle within this Dream World, it only made sense to start there. After all, it was where she was when she fell prey to Epiales's control, and the castle was a place she knew quite well.

* * *

Upon reaching the Dark Castle, Jefferson couldn't help but look around. While the plants in the courtyard were all dead and the windows boarded up in the true Enchanted Forest, the castle of the Dream World looked the same as it had done before the Dark Curse had hit. Deciding to shrug it off as just a part of being a Dream World, he pushed open the door into the castle and stepped inside, entering the castle foyer. For a few moments, the only sounds were the slight squeaks of his boots making their way across the polished floor, but he stopped when he heard soft footfalls on the stone stairwell in front of him. In a matter of seconds, Belle came into view, carrying a large wicker basket loaded with linens. Immediately, Jefferson felt a wide smile form on his face, relieved that he'd located her. However, his euphoria quickly vanished when Belle looked up and saw him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, readjusting her hold on the basket of linens. "I didn't hear you come in."

No sooner had Belle finished speaking, Jefferson felt a deep sense of dejection. There was absolutely no recognition in Belle's face. On the contrary, she was looking at him as if she'd never seen him before. He was just about to force himself to say something when another voice called out, prompting Jefferson's eyes to widen slightly. He never thought he'd hear that voice again, but there was no mistaking it. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed when Rumpelstiltskin came into view, in all his reptilian glory.

"Ah, Jefferson," Rumpelstiltskin said upon spotting him. "I wasn't expecting you. Belle, why didn't you inform me he was here?"

"I only just found out," Belle explained.

"Well, perhaps if you weren't off wasting your time instead of doing what you were supposed to do."

"I was doing your laundry," Belle countered gesturing to the basket of linens in her arms.

"Yes, I certainly can see that," Rumpelstiltskin scoffed, reaching into the linens and extracting a book that had been secretly tucked away. "I shouldn't have to remind you that I brought you here to take care of my estate, and keep things in order. Not to squander your time reading these ridiculous books. Now get back to work."

As Belle stepped out of the room, Jefferson had to put all of his effort into keeping his mouth shut. He had been aware that Belle had once lived as a scullery maid in Rumpelstiltskin's employ, but it was different to have to witness it. The only thing that kept him from speaking up in her defense was the realization that the Dream World had taken Belle back to those days. As far as she was presently concerned, she never left her life of servitude. Which meant she didn't remember anything about Storybrooke, or him. Because by the time Belle had begun living in the Dark Castle, he had left his thieving lifestyle behind and was living in the woods with Grace.

"Now that's out of the way," Rumpelstiltskin continued, turning back to Jefferson. "What brings you out here?"

Jefferson internally cringed, trying to do some quick thinking. If this Dream World Rumpelstiltskin was anything like the man he knew, then it was best to tread carefully. To his relief, he thought up a cover story pretty quickly, remembering one of the last times they worked together.

"It's about the slippers," Jefferson announced, lowering his voice conspiringly. "The slippers you sent me to Oz to find."

"Are you saying you found them?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, leaning in in visible interest.

"Not quite. But I think I know how you could get them."

"I'm listening."

"Have you ever heard of something called the Clock of Evermore? They say it can be used to manipulate time. Perhaps, if we found it, you could use it to obtain the slippers _before_ they were taken out of Oz."

"Hmmm. Well, that does sound promising. Perhaps we can discuss the matter further over supper. I will inform Belle to prepare enough food for two, tonight."

"So, she won't be dining with us?" Jefferson inquired, trying his best to keep his tone nonchalant.

"What?" Rumpelstiltskin scoffed. "Why would I dine with the _help_?" Jefferson merely replied with a casual shrug, but when Rumpelstiltskin's back was turned, his face twisted into a scowl, utterly disgusted with how quickly Belle could be dismissed like that. However, he managed to reign in his anger and simply followed Rumpelstiltskin out of the room, sparing one last glance at the direction Belle had gone off in.

* * *

Jefferson made his way down the vacant castle corridor, deep in thought. He'd managed to convince this Dream World version of Rumpelstiltskin that the Clock of Evermore would help him locate the slippers from Oz. To top it off, Rumpelstiltskin even stated that he'd allow him to borrow one of the cottages that stood out in the castle courtyard until further notice, stating that he wanted to be able to utilize his services at a moment's notice.

So far, it looked as if things were going well. If he had any chance at getting to Belle and convincing her that this was a dream, it was imperative that he had the opportunity to get her alone, without Rumpelstiltskin interrupting. And with any luck, this quest to locate the Clock of Evermore would keep him distracted and out of the way. Although, it legitimately surprised him how easy it was to talk about the Clock of Evermore. Considering what happened when he tried to venture into Wonderland in pursuit of that particular artifact, he'd have thought it would be impossible for him to discuss it so casually. But on the contrary, it was quite easy. And when he forced himself to replay the horrible event in his mind, he found it only brought about a dull ache in his chest.

Jefferson's thoughts were interrupted when he found himself in front of a side corridor. For a brief moment, he paused to spare a glance at the wooden door located at the end of the side corridor. Thinking back to when Belle was giving the rest of the Enchanted Forest expedition a brief tour of the Dark Castle, he remembered her mentioning that this particular door went to the cell where she'd been forced to sleep. Cautiously looking over his shoulder to make sure Rumpelstiltskin wasn't around, Jefferson reached into an inner pocket in his long coat, pulling out the book that was taken from Belle. He'd secretly managed to swipe it back from Rumpelstiltskin when he hadn't been looking. After once again making sure the coast was clear, Jefferson took a brief detour to the door, slipping the book though the flap in the door. Once he heard the book hit the ground on the other side, Jefferson continued on his way to the cottages, a small smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, I know. But there was not much more to say. Hope everyone is liking this so far.


	5. Bonding

The following morning found Jefferson making his way through the castle corridors. He had woken to the sound of birdsong outside his window, but noticing it was still dark outside, he took his time washing his face with a basin of water that had been left out for him. As he went about his morning routine, he tried to brainstorm ways to get Belle to realize that she was actually stuck in a dream world. Especially when it was clear that Morgan le Fay was not exaggerating when she said this dream would be very realistic. He'd even felt the lure of sleep last night, which he found amazing considering he was in a dream world. Falling asleep when you were already asleep was quite a surreal experience. However, when he felt the pangs of hunger, Jefferson decided it was time to return to the castle in the hopes of finding some breakfast.

Grateful that he had a general idea of the layout of the Dark Castle from his past dealings with Rumpelstiltskin and Belle's tour of the place in the real Enchanted Forest, Jefferson found the kitchen pantry without much trouble. He was just about to help himself to one of the small loafs of bread that had been left out when he heard the Dream World Rumpelstiltskin enter the room.

"Ah, Jefferson," he greeted. "There you are. I was just coming to inform you that I will be absent for a while."

"Oh, are you going somewhere?" Jefferson asked, slipping into his perceived role as the man who was still in cahoots with the Dark One.

"Yes, yes. If this clock you spoke of can do what you say, it wouldn't hurt to try and locate it. I'll be heading off to see if I can gather some information about its current whereabouts. In the meantime, I expect you to do a small task for me."

"And what task would that be?"

"Make sure Belle doesn't shirk her duties while I'm gone. I'm trusting you to keep an eye on her, and make sure she completes her chores."

"I can do that," Jefferson agreed. Satisfied with that answer, Dream World Rumpelstiltskin teleported away.

When he was sure Rumpelstiltskin had truly left the castle, Jefferson began to search the grounds, looking for Belle. After a good while, he finally located her within the cottage where he'd spent the night, where she appeared to be starting on the task of making the bed. For a moment, he could only stand in the doorway, simply looking at her and taking in how she looked in the soft blue dress. He'd never seen her wearing the clothing style of the Enchanted Forest before. It made him wonder how things would have been if they _had_ actually met before Regina cast her curse.

"Oh!" Belle exclaimed, suddenly spotting Jefferson standing there. "I didn't hear you come in! It was Jefferson, wasn't it?"

"It was," Jefferson confirmed with a nod. "And you're…Belle, right? That's what Rumpelstiltskin called you."

"Yes, that's right," Belle replied. "Is there something I could help you with?"

"I was actually wondering if you wanted help," Jefferson explained, entering the cottage. "Would you like a hand with that?"

"Oh, that's kind of you," Belle said, noticing he was gesturing to the unmade bed. "But I don't think Rumpelstiltskin would approve if had assistance with my chores."

"I won't tell him if you don't," Jefferson said slyly, giving her a conspiratorial grin as he took a place on the opposite side of the bed.

"Well, it _does_ take half the time with two," Belle admitted. Taking that as her accepting his offer, Jefferson proceeded to help her make the bed.

"It appears Rumpelstiltskin has gone on a trip," Jefferson began offhandedly, as if he was simply making conversation. "So it looks as if it's going to be just the two of us until he gets back."

"Are you staying long?" Belle asked.

"For the time being. But don't feel like you have to do anything special because of me. Just….do whatever you would have done if I wasn't here."

"I was actually planning to go down to the market today," Belle admitted. "I need to get more straw, and replenish the kitchen."

"I see. Well, perhaps I can go with you. If you want the company, that is."

* * *

A short time later, Jefferson and Belle were traveling down the mountain path, heading towards the market. It was Jefferson who broke the silence.

"I hope you weren't in too much trouble last night," he began. "When Rumpelstiltskin caught you with that book."

"Oh, it wasn't as bad as it might have looked," Belle said, smiling softly. "I sometimes think he acts like that to make himself seen gruffer than he really is. After all, he did return it last night."

" _Rumpelstiltskin_ returned the book?" Jefferson questioned, reigning in his surprise at her assumption.

"Well, I found it waiting for me when I returned to my ce…. I mean, my bedchamber," Belle replied, quickly correcting herself before she could call the room where she slept a cell. "Who else could it have been?" Jefferson could only give a nonchalant shrug, unable to help feeling a twinge of sadness that Belle hadn't realized that he'd been the one who returned her book. Instead, he tried to change the subject.

"That book means a lot to you, doesn't it?" Jefferson observed.

"It was my mother's favorite," Belle explained. "And, in a lot of ways, it's my favorite, too. She used to read it to me at night, before I went to sleep. When Mother died, I suppose this book helped me get through it. When I read it, I could almost hear her voice speaking the words. It made me feel like she was still there with me."

"So, it helps you remember her," Jefferson concluded.

"You understand, right?" Belle asked. "I'm sure you have something you treasure from your parents, don't you?" When Jefferson didn't reply, Belle glanced over and immediately noticed his wide-eyed expression. "OH! I'm sorry. I hope I didn't upset you. It's just…."

"No!" Jefferson exclaimed. "No, no. You didn't upset me. Not at all. It's just….you caught me by surprise. It's been a long time since I even thought about my parents."

For a moment, the pair continued to walk down the path in silence. But when Jefferson chanced a glance at Belle, he saw she was still looking at him cautiously. He barely was able to suppress a chuckle, noticing that familiar gleam of curious interest in her eyes. It was the same look he'd seen in her eyes many times back in Storybrooke, whenever she discovered a new book at the library. The fact that she had that look in her eyes now was enough to tell Jefferson that Belle wanted him to continue, but didn't want to pry.

"My father was a rather wealthy merchant," Jefferson commenced. "But because of his work, he was the ultimate absentee father. He'd be gone for months on end. On the occasions that he did come home, he would only stay for a night or two before he left again. As you can imagine, it seemed like had a new brother or sister every year." Briefly, he paused in his story as Belle let out a shocked chuckle at his bold insinuation. Unable to hold back a small smile of his own, he went on. "I know some people might think growing up with a large family would be fun. But it's not as grand as you might think. Especially when you have over 13 brothers and sisters. "

" _Thirteen?!_ " Belle exclaimed.

"I admit I never bothered to do an actual headcount," Jefferson stated. "But I'd say that's a rough estimate of how many siblings I had back then. I think even our mother lost track of how many of us there were. Anyway, when I was…fifteen or sixteen, my father came home with an entire trunk full of stuff he planned to sell. Of course, we were never allowed to touch anything that he brought home. He didn't want to run the risk of us kids breaking anything valuable. But the boldest of us still snuck a peek from time to time. This time, however, there was this old ratty looking top hat inside our father's trunk. While my siblings didn't have much interest in an old hat, something about it…just appealed to me." As Jefferson spoke, he reached up and took his hat off, carefully passing it to Belle.

"This is the same hat, isn't it?" Belle guessed.

"Yes, it is," Jefferson confirmed. "Anyway, that night, when everyone else was asleep, I snuck out of bed and took the hat out of the trunk. I really just wanted to try it on. But, when I was messing around with it, I inadvertently discovered something unusual about this hat. It's actually a magic hat. With this hat, I can actually travel to other worlds."

"Really?" Belle asked with amazement. "I've heard stories about different worlds, but I've never visited one myself. Have you gone to many of these other worlds?"

"Oh, _dozens of them_. Worlds where there are cities built entirely of emeralds. Worlds where animals like deer and rabbits can actually talk. There are even worlds where people can travel in flying machines."

"Wow!" Belle gaped, visibly enthralled. "So, what happened then? When you returned home from those other worlds?" Belle's smile instantly faded when she saw the deflated expression appearing on Jefferson's face.

"When I returned to the Enchanted Forest," he said. "I found myself in the back of a wagon. See, when you travel to other worlds through my hat, the hat doesn't come with you. It stays where you left it until you return home. But my father, of course, either didn't know about the hat's magic or that I had gone through it. He'd ended up selling the hat to someone in my absence. When I returned to the Enchanted Forest, I managed to slip out of the wagon undetected, taking the hat with me. Thankfully, the hat hadn't traveled too far, and I was able to find my way back to my mother's house without much difficulty. But….when I made it back to the house, my mother…."

"Jefferson?" Belle spoke gently, seeing he was starting to struggle in his story.

"Remember how I said that my mother often lost track of how many children she had? Well, when I finally returned home, she didn't even recognize me as one of her sons. Of course, how could she? I was just a face in a crowd of people that got bigger with each passing year. In any event, that was when I decided that it was probably time to leave home. After all, it was clear that no one would even notice I was gone. So….I left. And I haven't been back since."

"Oh, Jefferson," Belle whispered, visibly devastated by the story. "I am so sorry. I can't imagine how it feels. For your mother to not even recognize you?"

"It's all right," Jefferson replied, shaking his head. "It was a long time ago. And my mother was never a very affectionate woman to begin with. Honestly, it's been years since I even thought about it."

"For what it's worth," Belle said, reaching out and giving his hand a gentle squeeze, "I'm glad you told me." Jefferson responded with a calm smile.

For the rest of the journey, the two walked in a comfortable silence, but Jefferson was deep in thought. It had surprised him how easy it was to tell Belle about his history. At the same time, he knew it wasn't that shocking. Ever since they'd met, Belle always had an unparalleled ability to put him at ease, making it all too easy to discuss the painful parts of his past with her. Very briefly, he warred with the notion of just telling Belle straight out that they were trapped in a dream world, but something held him back. Maybe it was the memory of what had happened when he tried to force Emma to believe in magic and the curse over Storybrooke. Back then, he had been so desperate to reunite with Grace, he hadn't even thought twice before acting. But with Belle, it was different. With Belle, he wanted to proceed with caution. Perhaps, if he earned Belle's trust first, he'd have a better chance of convincing her of the truth than he did with Emma.

* * *

Ruby continued to sit by the bed, watching over Belle and Jefferson as they continued to sleep. She hadn't moved from that spot since Jefferson had drank Morgen le Fay's potion. Occasionally, however, she snuck a glance across the hut to keep an eye on Morgan le Fay, who seemed to be occupied with something on the other side of the room. But because the sorceress had her back to her, Ruby could not make out what she was doing. Not for the first time, she internally debated going over to see if she could spy on whatever Morgan le Fay was up to. But whenever she built up the nerve to do so, she always changed her mind, her concern for her friends overpowering all other worries.

What exactly was happening in the Dream World? Shouldn't Jefferson have located Belle by now? What was taking him them so long to wake up? What if the demon had gotten to them? Wasn't there some way that they could look in on what was going on in the dream?

Ruby was just opening her mouth to vocalize her final question when the sudden sound of a horse's whinny was heard outside. However, when Morgan le Fay turned around, Ruby noticed that she didn't look surprised or curious about the sound. Instead, she looked positively amused.

"Well, I must say _his_ timing is just impeccable," she commented. "I hope you'll forgive me, Madame Wolf. But it looks like it's time I took my leave. I sincerely do hope your friends wake up again. Truly, I do."

Before Ruby could ask for clarification on what Morgen le Fay was talking about, the front door burst open and a dark haired man entered the hut.

"So, the rumors were true," the man said, his baleful glare zeroing in on Morgan le Fay. "You _have_ returned. And defied the banishment I imposed on you."

"Oh, I couldn't stay away," Morgan le Fay declared in a offhanded tone.

"I warned you what would become of you if you ever dared return, witch," the man snarled, his hand reaching up to grasp the sword that hung from a scabbard secured to his waist.

"Put it away, little man," Morgan le Fay cackled, looking at the sheathed sword in visible glee. "You and I both know you wouldn't _dare_ pull it out. Just as we both know that you are not _my_ king."

Without another word, Morgan le Fay vanished in a cloud of yellow smoke. For a long moment, the dark haired man seemed frozen in place, staring at the spot where the sorceress was standing seconds before. It was clear he was nearly seething with rage. But in a flash, his eyes refocused as he seemed to collect himself again. It was with a much calmer air that he turned and faced Ruby, who returned his gaze in an appraising manner.

"I apologize you had to see that, my lady," he said. "What compelled you to come here to that….woman's abode?"

"First thing's first," Ruby commented, still unsure about this man. "May I ask who's asking?"

"Ah, of course," the man said. "I am King Arthur of Camelot."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone see that coming?
> 
> Also, can anyone guess which fairy tale/nursery rhyme character Jefferson's mother is? Virtual brownies to everyone who can guess.


	6. Time's Up

“You know you don’t have to do that,” Belle pointed out, looking over at Jefferson as he carefully peeled some potatoes.

“As I recall, the deal you made with Rumpelstiltskin entailed you living here as _his_ servant,” Jefferson replied. “But there was nothing in that agreement that said you had to also wait on _me_. So you’re not shirking any of your duties by letting me help with dinner.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Belle allowed.

The pair of them had returned to the Dream World’s version of the Dark Castle a few hours ago. Since the Dream World of Rumpelstiltskin was still away, Jefferson had volunteered to help Belle prepare dinner for the two of them to share.

As the two continued preparing the ingredients for their dinner, Jefferson let his mind wander back to what he’d discovered when they were in town. It had all seemed like a normal village when he and Belle had arrived, with shopkeepers manning food stalls and children playing in the street. At one point, however, Belle had realized she had left her hand basket inside the grocers’ shop and Jefferson had volunteered to go back inside to fetch it. When he had stepped inside, he’d been met with a surprising sight. When he’d been inside with Belle, it had been filled with people. But when Jefferson had reentered the building, it was completely deserted. The crates of food and Belle’s forgotten basket were still there, but all the people had vanished without a trace. It was as if everyone had faded from existence the moment Belle was no longer present. At the time, Jefferson had been too shaken up to really think about it, and he’d simply grabbed Belle’s basket and left to rejoin her outside. Now that he’d taken the time to think about it, however, it began to make sense. This whole place was all part of Belle’s dream. So people within the Dream World would only exist if Belle was around to interact with them.

Out of nowhere, Jefferson felt an unusual but strangely identifiable feeling in his finger, followed by a dull stinging sensation. Almost simultaneously with Belle’s exclamation of shock, he glanced down to see a red line appearing on the finger in question. Seconds later, a few bead-sized drops of blood seeped out of the small cut.

“Oh, no! You’ve cut yourself!” Belle cried, staring at the bleeding cut in concern.

“Ah, it’s okay,” Jefferson replied, shaking his head at his own carelessness. “I just nicked myself with the knife.” Even as he spoke, Jefferson couldn’t hold back the thought of his body back in Morgan le Fay’s hut, and how Ruby might be reacting to the sudden cut appearing there. Morgan le Fay _had_ said that anything that happened to him in the Dream World would affect his real body.

“Here, let me just…” Belle babbled, hurrying across the room to fetch a clean rag.

“Belle, it’s okay!” Jefferson insisted, reaching out to stop her. “See? The bleeding already stopped. The cut wasn’t even that deep.” For the briefest moment, Belle gave a small smile, visibly relieved he wasn’t seriously hurt by the kitchen knife. But then her smile faded as her brow furrowed slightly. Glancing down to follow her gaze, Jefferson finally noticed he was holding her hand, with their fingers intertwined. Immediately, he mentally kicked himself. In that brief second, it was as if he’d completely forgotten that Belle didn’t currently remember anything after she came to live in the Dark Castle. She didn’t remember Storybrooke, or how close they’d been there. So instead of grabbing her arm or wrist, he’d instinctively reached out to hold her hand in an intimate matter.

Feeling awkwardly embarrassed by his slip up, Jefferson let go of Belle’s hand, backing away slightly. He was just about to spout out an apology when he felt like someone was watching him. Turning, he had to fight against the urge to back away in alarm. Rumpelstiltskin was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, looking back at both of them.

“Oh, Rumpelstiltskin, you’re back,” Belle breathed out, noticing him.

“Yes, I was able to return earlier than I anticipated.” Rumpelstiltskin announced. “I believe I may have determined the exact location of the Clock of Evermore. I shall need to utilize the services of your hat, Jefferson.”

“Of course,” Jefferson agreed, hoping his nervousness wasn’t showing. “I’ll just…fetch it. I left in in the cottage you loaned me, after our return from town.” Cautiously, Jefferson left the kitchen, all too aware that Rumpelstiltskin was watching him leave with close scrutiny.

As he made his way towards the cottage, he felt a sense of panic start to rise in his chest. He thought he’d have more time to spend with Belle and earn her trust. But Dream World Rumpelstiltskin had returned much sooner than he’d thought. What was going to happen now? Would his hat even work in the Dream World? And if it did, what then? Would Rumpelstiltskin find the clock and therefore remove his excuse for being in the Dark Castle? And what if Rumpelstiltskin made him accompany him through the hat? Or send him to fetch the clock himself? No matter which scenario he came up with, Jefferson couldn’t see any other way of looking at it. Unless he came up with something quick, he’d be out of time and he wouldn’t be able to convince Belle that she was dreaming. Feeling a few drops of stress-induced sweat flow down his temple, Jefferson began to pace outside the cottage. If only there was a way to contact Ruby. Maybe she could have helped him come up with a plan.

Before Jefferson could collect himself, he felt someone’s presence behind him. Quickly, he made to turn around, but he was only briefly able to make out the figure standing behind him before everything went dark, and he remembered nothing else.

* * *

Jefferson regained consciousness to a faint throbbing in the back of his head, along with a strange numb feelings in his arms and shoulders. Opening his eyes, he found himself facing a stone wall. When he tried to look around to get his bearings, he quickly realized his arms were suspended in the air by a chain hanging from a rafter above his head.

“So, you’ve finally decided to wake up,” a voice hissed in his ear. Turning his head, which still felt slightly top-heavy, he found himself face to face with Rumpelstiltskin. The latter’s expression was twisted in an uncompromising scowl that left Jefferson feeling deeply uneasy.

“What’s all this about?” Jefferson asked, looking up at the chain that was wrapped around his wrists.

“You know, after everything we’d been through together, I expected better of you, Jefferson,” Rumpelstiltskin began, disregarding the question. “You should have known better than most that I don’t tolerate people taking what belongs to me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jefferson insisted, genuinely confused.

“Don’t insult my intelligence. I saw that display in the kitchens.”

“What?” Jefferson gaped, taken aback.

“Do you know what I did to the last person who tried to take her away from me?”

It took Jefferson all of his willpower to keep his eyes from widening in fear. He had to remember that, even though this wasn’t the real Rumpelstiltskin, he could still harm him, or even kill him. Trying to ignore how dry his mouth was getting, Jefferson took on a calm persona.

“I cut my finger with a kitchen knife,” Jefferson stated. “Belle was looking for something to help me take care of the cut. That’s all it was.”

“Please,” Rumpelstiltskin scoffed. “ _No one_ looks at someone the way you were looking at her when they were only getting them a bandage.”

Jefferson started to open his mouth to argue, but the words caught in his throat. Despite knowing what the Dream World Rumpelstiltskin could do to him, he couldn’t bring himself to deny the insinuation. It would feel like he was denying how he felt about her. In spite of everything, he couldn’t do that. Taking his silence as confirmation, Rumpelstiltskin’s glower grew more pronounced.

“Now, here’s what’s going to happen,” he announced. “I shall be taking your hat and use it to venture into the realm where the Clock of Evermore is located. You, however, will remain here until I get back. By then, I will have decided what to do with you. And…don’t worry about Belle. I shall tell her your business here was complete and you decided to head off. She won’t even know you’re still here. And she’ll soon forget all about you. As for you? Perhaps you can take the time to anticipate what’s in store for you.”

Without another word, Rumpelstiltskin turned and left the cell, closing and locking the door behind him. The moment he was left alone, Jefferson tried to free his hands from the chain but to no avail. All he got for his efforts were chafed wrists. With a groan of frustration, Jefferson bowed his head, giving in to despair. How was he supposed to get out of this mess? Once Rumpelstiltskin told Belle he’d left the castle, that would be it. No one would know he was a prisoner here. No one would come looking for him. It really looked like he was going to be trapped here forever. Or at least until Dream World Rumpelstiltskin returned with whatever punishment he’d deemed fit. Somehow, even though he knew he was as good as dead, Jefferson could only think about Belle, who was going to be stuck in this Dream World forever. And what would Grace go through when he and Belle didn’t come home to Storybrooke? If only there had been a way for Ruby to have come with him into the Dream World. Maybe having a little bit of backup in this world would have been profitable.

Yet, through his misery, Jefferson couldn’t quite shake a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. It was like his subconscious mind had realized he was missing something obvious; something right in front of his face. But he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. The multitude of emotions left him feeling like all he’d wanted to do was curl up and fall asleep. But with the burning in his arms from being suspended in the air, sleep proved to be impossible.

* * *

After what felt like hours, Jefferson heard the cell door open again. In his weakened state, he could not look up to face Rumpelstiltskin, fully resigned to his fate. But when he felt a familiar hand gently touch his cheek, his eyes snapped open. It took a moment for the face in front of him to come into focus, but the moment it did, he could have sworn his heart skipped a beat.

“Belle!” he exclaimed, unable to quite believe she was actually there. It might have just been the fact that he thought he’d never see her again, but she somehow looked even more beautiful than usual.

“Oh, what did he do to you?” Belle whispered, visibly horror-struck.

“I don’t understand,” Jefferson said, shaking his head in amazement. “How….?”

“Rumpelstiltskin said you left the castle,” Belle explained. “At first, I really did believe him, although I was hurt you didn’t say goodbye first. But then I saw your hat in his study while I was cleaning. After the story you told me this morning, about how you came about it, I _knew_ you wouldn’t have left without it. Something didn’t feel right. So, when Rumpelstiltskin left the castle, I started to look around.”

“I’m glad you did,” Jefferson chuckled, feeling strangely elated.

“Here, let me get you down,” Belle said. With that, she crossed the room to where the chain holding Jefferson’s arms up was secured.

After struggling a moment, she finally managed to undo the knot holding it in place. The moment the chain was free, Jefferson dropped to the ground. He’d been suspended in that position for so long, his legs were unable to support his weight. Letting out a small noise of sympathy, Belle hurried to his side to help untangle the chain from Jefferson’s wrists, which were nearly rubbed raw.

“Come on,” she encouraged urgently, carefully draping Jefferson’s arm over her shoulder to help him to his feet, turning herself into a human crutch. “We’ve got to get you out of here, before Rumpelstiltskin can return.”

Wordlessly, the two of them made their way through the deserted corridors. In spite of everything, Jefferson couldn’t quite fight the small smile from forming in the corners of his mouth. While he was making an effort to get his legs to full working order again, his body was still slightly weak from being chained up for so long. As such, Belle was needing to support a considerable amount of his weight as she walked. But while she was clearly struggling a bit, she was still able to propel him forward. There was a part of him that couldn’t help but be impressed by that. It was proof she really was stronger than she looked.

Before he knew it, Belle had brought him to a side entrance of the castle.

“Here,” Belle urged, opening the door. “Do you think you can walk on your own now?”

“I think I can do all right,” Jefferson replied, standing to full height again, even though his legs still felt a little sore.

“Okay, good. Hurry and make your way to the village. Here’s a little of the gold Rumpelstiltskin spun. With any luck, you’ll find someone to get you away from here before he realizes you’re gone.”

Alarmed, Jefferson looked back at Belle, finally understanding. She was planning to stay here without him. The moment that registered in his mind, he realized it was now or never.

“Belle, come with me,” Jefferson insisted.

“I can’t,” Belle replied, shaking her head. “I made a deal to serve Rumpelstiltskin. I have to stay, for the safety of my family.”

“I know about the deal you made with him,” Jefferson stated. “But…. what if I was to tell you that the deal was no longer relevant? What if I told you that you no longer were bound by the deal you made?”

“I… I don’t understand.”

“I promise, I can explain everything. But there’s no time, now. If you come with me now, I promise to explain.”

Belle lightly bit her lip, hesitating. For a brief moment, she glanced over her shoulder, visibly torn.

“Belle?” Jefferson persisted gently, holding out a hand. “Please. If you trust me, then come with me.” Her eyes widening slightly, Belle looked from Jefferson’s extended hand to his anxious face. After a long, agonizing moment, she quickly reached out and took hold of Jefferson’s hand. Immediately, Jefferson released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, but he said nothing more as he hurried off into the night, with Belle at his side.


	7. Revival

Belle and Jefferson had been traveling for quite a few miles, using a single torch to navigate through the mountaintop forest, before the silence was broken by a strange gurgling sound.

“I’m sorry,” Belle apologized, looking slightly embarrassed. “I suddenly remembered we never got to finish making dinner.”

“That’s right, we haven’t really eaten since the bread and cakes we got in the village this afternoon,” Jefferson recalled. “Okay, we can take a bit of a break and see if we can forage something eat.”

“Wait, aren’t most wild plants poisonous?” Belle asked, visibly concerned as Jefferson began to scan the ground around them, using the torch for light.

“Some are, yes. But many are completely edible. Did I mention I used to make a living selling mushrooms I gathered from the forests? I’d like to think I got rather good at distinguishing between poisonous and edible plants.”

“Really?” Belle replied with an interested smile.

“Of course,” Jefferson confirmed. “For instance, it’s usually best to avoid berries that are white, yellow or green. With very few exceptions, berries that are that color tend to be poisonous. It’s usually best to look for blue or black berries, or ones that are aggregated like raspberries.”

For a few minutes, Belle silently stored that information into her memory. However, her smile faded as she watched Jefferson locate a patch of whortleberries.

“Jefferson? While you’re at it, perhaps you could explain what you were saying before? About how I was no longer bound by my deal with Rumpelstiltskin. You said you would explain if I came with you, so….”

“Yes,” Jefferson spoke up, a slight grimace on his face. “You’re right, I _did_ say that. I just…was hoping to come up with a good way to explain it first.”

“Perhaps you can just come out and say it,” Belle suggested.

“Okay,” Jefferson agreed with a nod after a short pause. “The truth of the matter, Belle… is that you’re dreaming.”

“What?” Belle blinked, slightly taken aback.

“You’re currently in a Dream World. I know it might sound crazy, but it’s the truth. We were sorting through the items in Rumpelstiltskin’s old vault, the one hidden within the Dark Castle. We were doing what we could to make sure none of the artifacts he’d stored there could fall into the wrong hands. But you stumbled across a cursed music box that had a dream demon trapped inside. When you listened to the music box’s melody, the demon put some sort of curse on you. You became trapped in a Dream World that was designed to be so real, you wouldn’t ever realize you weren’t awake. That’s why I’m here. I drank a potion that allowed me to come into the Dream World as well, so I could try and wake you up.”

“But…that’s…. Belle stammered, trying to wrap her mind around what Jefferson was saying.

“I know how I might sound,” Jefferson assured. “But I promise it’s the truth.”

“But why would I even be going through Rumpelstiltskin’s vault?” Belle questioned. “He made it clear I was _never_ to go down there, as it contained dangerous objects.” Jefferson hesitated before replying, wishing there was a better way to say what he had to say next.

“That’s what I meant when I said you were no longer obligated to your vow to stay with him,” he stated. “Belle….Rumpelstiltskin is dead.”

“He’s _what?!_ ”

“He died a few months ago. It’s… rather a long story, I’m afraid. But shortly after his death, you came up with the idea of organizing an expedition into his vault so the objects inside could be properly dealt with. Unfortunately, that’s when you came across the cursed music box."

For a long moment, Belle was completely silent, seemingly taking it all in. But then she quickly shook her head.

“No,” she insisted. “No, you’re lying to me. I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish by making me believe all of this, but there is _no way_ what you’re telling me is true.” Jefferson briefly bowed his head, letting out a long sigh. However, he continued to press the matter.

“If I was just making it all up,” he said, looking up again. “Then how could I know this? Years ago, the ogres lay siege to your family’s estate. When they broke in, you and your mother were in the middle of trying to save as many books from the library as possible. Your mother shielded you from the creature, allowing the guards time to get you to safety. But in the process, your mother paid the ultimate price.”

“How….how do you know that?” Belle gaped, her face pale in shock and dismay. “ _No one_ knows that story, except for my father, our guards, and myself. I’ve never told _anyone_ about that!”

“I know because you told me,” Jefferson explained. “You told me the night before you found the music box.”

“I told…no, that’s not….” Belle whispered.

“How else could I have known?” Jefferson challenged. For a long moment, Jefferson kept a close watch on Belle’s expression, holding his breath as she took everything in.

“I don’t understand,” she finally said. “If what you’re telling me is true, and I’m stuck in a dream…. why would I have told you that story?”

“Because in the Awake World, you and I are….” Jefferson trailed off, unsure of how to describe their relationship. Yes, they had admitted there was something between them, and before they left Storybrooke with the rest of the Enchanted Forest expedition, Belle would frequently come to his house to have dinner with him and Grace. And he had taken to stopping by the library on a daily basis to see her during her lunch break. But that had been as far as things had gone so far. Unless you counted that one kiss that had happened in the back room of Granny’s, but that had been months ago now. So what exactly was he supposed to say they were? Especially when they hadn’t had the ‘ _what are we_ ’ discussion yet?

“We were _what?_ ” Belle asked softly, looking at Jefferson with curious eyes.

Before Jefferson could formulate an answer, he felt himself being jerked backwards by an invisible force, his trajectory being halted when his back collided with the trunk of a nearby tree. From a few feet away, he heard Belle shouting his name in alarm, but he couldn’t respond, as the impact with the tree trunk had knocked the wind out of him. That was when he noticed the strange pressure he felt around his chest was from a thick branch that had magically wrapped around him, pinning him to the tree.

“Did you really think you’d manage to get away?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, suddenly appearing before them in the flickering light of the torch, which had somehow remained lit when it fell from Jefferson’s hand.

“Rumpelstiltskin!” Belle cried in alarm.

“I suggest you look away, Belle,” Rumpelstiltskin instructed, setting baleful eyes on Jefferson. “This probably won’t be very pretty.”

“Wait, please!” Belle begged, moving to stand between the two men. “Just let him go. He hasn’t done anything to….” Belle’s words were cut off when Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand and magically pushed her aside.

“Belle!” Jefferson cried out, shocked at the sight of her being shoved to the ground like that.

“If I were you, I would worry more about _yourself_ right now,” Rumpelstiltskin snarled, approaching him in a threatening manner. “I _was_ going to wait until I returned to your cell at my castle for this. But since you decided to run off with my servant, I’ve decided I don’t want to wait.”

Despite knowing that he was undoubtedly about to endure a very painful death, Jefferson found he could not look away from Belle, who was gingerly getting back to her feet. While he was glad to see she was okay, he was still filled with dread. What exactly was this Dream World version of Rumpelstiltskin going to do to her once he’d killed him? What if he decided to kill her, too? Or worse?

At the same time, that same nagging feeling he’d felt in the cell back at the Dark Castle had returned, making him once again feel like he was missing something obvious. Only this time, just as Rumpelstiltskin was pulling out a razor-sharp blade from his belt, he finally figured out what it was that he was overlooking.

“Wait a moment,” Jefferson gasped. “Of course! I should have realized it sooner! It was you all along!”

“What are you babbling about now, Jefferson?” Rumpelstiltskin hissed.

“When Belle and I were in town, she forgot her handbasket inside one of the shops,” Jefferson explained. “I went back in to fetch it for her. When I did, I found everyone who had been inside the shop earlier had vanished. I figured out that people only exist in this Dream World if Belle is around to witness them. When she’s not there, they disappear. But you and I have interacted multiple times within this world when Belle was nowhere near us. You should have vanished the moment Belle was not around, like those people in town. But you didn’t. It’s because you’re not actually a _part_ of this Dream World, isn’t it? And if you’re not just another construct of the Dream World, it means you physically entered it like Belle and I did. If that’s the case, that can only mean one thing. That it was _you!_ You’re Epiales!”

For a long moment, ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ simply stood there staring at Jefferson with an expressionless look on his face. But then, his mouth twisted upward in a sinister smile.

“Well done, Hatter,” the figure said in a voice that now seemed like a distorted version of Rumpelstiltskin’s. “It appears you’re more astute than I originally suspected.”

Before Jefferson’s horrified eyes, the creature began to fold back on himself, the face of Rumpelstiltskin becoming warped and misshapen, almost like a clay figure that invisible hands were reconstructing. The disturbing sound of bones snapping and cracking filled the air as the being in front of him continued to alter his shape in a grotesque manner. Finally, the transformation was complete, and a terrifying creature was standing in the place where Rumpelstiltskin had been moments before. Jefferson could only stare in shock at Epiales’ true form. Overall, he had the build of an unnaturally large dog, even bigger than a full-grown grizzly, with leathery red skin and spindly black hair that only grew down the back. But there were unsettlingly noticeable differences that made Jefferson hesitate to call this creature dog-like. Particularly in the face and eyes, which were a disturbing mixture between animalistic and human-like, particularly when it came to the sinister looking smile that seemed to literally stretch from ear to ear.

“You should have left well enough alone,” Epiales growled, looming over Jefferson. “But you just _had_ to stick your nose into where it didn’t belong. But don’t worry- I’ll take good care of the woman.”

With that said, Epiales opened his gaping mouth, his intention perfectly clear. But before he could lunge at Jefferson, a terrible scream of pain burst from his mouth and he staggered backwards. At first, Jefferson was confused by Epiales’ reaction, but then he noticed Belle was standing nearby, holding the torch he’d dropped. Instantly, he realized she must have used the torch to burn Epiales in an effort to ward him off. Without hesitation, Belle hurried over towards him to try and pry away the heavy branch that was binding him to the tree.

“Belle, stop!” Jefferson cried, casting a nervous gaze over at Epiales, who was quickly recovering from getting burnt by the torch. “Just get away from here. You have to find a way to wake up. Don’t worry about me.”

“I can’t leave you to get killed by that monster,” Belle insisted, refusing to give up.

“Belle, get down!” Jefferson shouted urgently. Heeding the warning, Belle quickly crouched down, Epiales’ sharp claws narrowly missing her as the demon swiped a massive paw at them. However, the claws ended up cutting through the branch that was holding Jefferson prisoner. Without the branch holding him in place, Jefferson dropped to the ground next to Belle. Not hesitating for a moment, Jefferson grabbed hold of Belle’s hand and urged her to her feet, with them breaking into a run. Even as they continued to run, stumbling blindly through the trees as they’d been forced to leave the torch behind, they could feel the ground beneath their feet vibrate from Epiales’ pursuit. Out of nowhere, Belle tripped over a tree root and stumbled. Jefferson quickly slid to a stop and turned back to help her back up again. Unfortunately, that gave Epiales the chance to catch up to them. Within seconds, the demonic beast was towering over them.

“Jefferson?” Belle asked, a slight tremor of fear in her voice. “You said…this is all just a dream, right? So…the demon won’t be able to do anything to us, right?”

“No,” Jefferson contradicted with a grim shake of the head. “Morgan le Fay, the sorceress who created the potion that sent me in after you, said anything that happens to us in the Dream World affects our actual bodies.”

“Oh, you needn’t fear, Belle,” Epiales chortled. “I have no intention of harming you. I’ve grown to be rather fond of you. But I can’t say the same for that interloper. He should never have tried to interfere. As such, he’s brought this upon himself.”

With no further warning, the demon lunged forward, with Jefferson and Belle barely having time to dodge out of the way. But this act resulted in Epiales to physically separate them from one another, with Belle ending up near a vine-covered tree and Jefferson nearly hitting his head on a fallen log a few feet away. Once again, Epiales directed his attention on Jefferson. Fearful for his safety, Belle frantically started to look around, trying to locate something she could use as a weapon. Anything that could ward off the demon before he could kill Jefferson. That was when she noticed something about the vine climbing up the tree next to her. It was practically overrun with white berries. The moment she saw the berries, she remembered what Jefferson had told her about foraging for food in the woods.

Knowing time was of the essence, Belle didn’t hesitate to take hold of the vine and grab a fistful of the white berries before making a beeline for Jefferson, putting all her effort into running as fast as she was able. By now, the demon had Jefferson pinned beneath his massive paw and was bearing down at him. At the last possible second, Belle managed to take a flying leap, landing atop Jefferson, practically shielding him with her body. In almost the same movement, she rolled over onto her back and threw the berries into Epiales’ open mouth with all the strength she could muster. The moment the berries disappeared down the great beast’s gullet, his soulless white eyes seemed to widen with shock. As Belle and Jefferson watched, the demon began to convulse, letting out a terrible sound that almost sounded like choking.

As Epiales continued to choke and gag, Jefferson and Belle slowly started to become aware of something else. The ground beneath them was shaking. It had started off so gradually, they almost hadn’t noticed it at first. But the tremor continued to intensify until it felt like they were experiencing a full-on earthquake. Except the ground appeared to be cracking in a manner not unlike breaking glass. Before they had the chance to think of what to do, the forest floor shattered into pieces. Without the solid ground beneath them, Jefferson and Belle found themselves falling downward, becoming enveloped in a blinding white light.

* * *

Ruby started in surprise when Jefferson suddenly sat up in the animal skin-lined bed, a sudden gasp slipping from his throat.

“Jefferson!” she exclaimed. “You’re awake!” Upon hearing her voice, Jefferson glanced over to look at her. For a brief moment, a smile started to form on his face, but before it could be completed, his eyes widened and he snapped his head around, turning to Belle. To his shocked alarm, she was still lying still, showing no sign of life.

“Belle!” he shouted, reaching out to cup her cheek. “Belle?” For a few tense seconds, nothing happened, and Jefferson felt as if his stomach had dropped to his feet. Just as he felt grief starting to creep into his chest, Belle’s eyes snapped open.

“Jefferson?” Belle breathed out, her eyes focusing on his face. Immediately, Jefferson felt the corners of his mouth start to tilt upward again, thankful she was okay. His relief only increased when he carefully helped Belle into a sitting position and she looked over at Ruby. Right away, her eyes lit up in clear recognition. “Ruby!”

In a flash, Belle had surged forward, throwing her arms around her friend in a tight hug, the two women relishing in their reunion. Jefferson could do nothing but sit back, overwhelmed with relief. If Belle was able to recognize Ruby, it meant she now remembered everything. A part of him had been worried Belle would maintain her limited memory upon waking up. But his fears, it seemed, were unfounded.

“I’m so glad you’re back!” Ruby cried once she and Belle had broken their hug.

“Yeah, so am I,” Belle agreed. “I’m so sorry about what happened.”

“Don’t be! It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known that music box was cursed.”

“So, how long was I out?”

Before Ruby could reply to the question, a sudden hiss of pain caught their attention and they both turned in the direction of the sound. Jefferson, who had been trying to covertly slide off the bed to allow the women to talk amongst themselves, had suddenly jerked forward, clutching at his middle with an obvious grimace of pain.

“Jefferson, what’s wrong?” Belle asked in alarm. Instead of replying, Jefferson carefully lifted up his shirt slightly, revealing shallow but still painful looking slashes across his chest.

“What happened!?” Ruby gasped in shock.

“I don’t know,” Jefferson replied. “But….the demon Epiales took a swipe at us during those last few moments in the Dream World. At the time, I thought his claws had only sliced through that tree branch, but they must have grazed me as well.”

“Well, I suppose we’d best get that looked at, then,” Arthur decided, finally announcing his presence.

“Jefferson, Belle,” Ruby began, noticing how her friends were looking at Arthur in confusion. “This is King Arthur. He showed up while you two were out.”

“Wait, you mean… _the_ King Arthur?” Belle asked, eyes wide in amazement.

“I see my reputation precedes me,” Arthur commented with a smile. “Your friend, Ruby, explained all about what befell you when you were clearing out the Dark One’s castle. I’m glad to see you both came out of it, even though it wasn’t unscathed.”

As if on cue, Jefferson once again flinched, the pain from the scratches flaring up again. Upon seeing this, Arthur once again offered to have the wound treated, stating he had a team of trained healers back his castle and that he would be more than happy to escort the three friends there. Out of concern for Jefferson’s wellbeing, Belle and Ruby readily agreed to take Arthur up on his offer.

* * *

As Arthur and a group of his knights headed away from the old hut, accompanied by Belle, Ruby and Jefferson, a lone figure watched them go in secret, concealed by the shadow of the trees. Only when they were out of sight did Morgan le Fay emerge from hiding.

“Best of luck to you, my little pair of Dreamwalkers,” she said, staring off in the direction the group had gone off in. “And….thank _you_ , Hatter, for the little souvenir you helped me obtain.”

As Morgan le Fay spoke, she glanced down at the object in her hands. A smile formed on her face as she stroked the brim of the old, battered top hat with her finger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus ends the actual adventure in the Dream World. But there's more to come before this story is officially complete. The rest of this fic will serve to help build up the next installment of my ongoing canon divergence story. Hope you're enjoying this so far. If you like what you see, please remember to let me know. Reviews give me life.


	8. The Nightly Flight

Belle sat quietly by the window, meticulously brushing her hair and scrubbing her face with the basin of warm water that had been left out for her. After being asleep for the past few days, she was feeling particularly grubby, so she was grateful for the opportunity to freshen up a bit.

Upon arriving at Camelot, Arthur had made it clear they were more than welcome to stay the night, as it was far too late for them to even attempt a return journey to the Dark Castle in order to rejoin their friends. As a result, two bedchambers had been loaned to them. One for Jefferson and another for Belle and Ruby to share. It hadn't taken long before Ruby fell asleep on the soft looking bed that stood within their shared room, but Belle could not fault Ruby at all for that. From what she'd been told, Ruby hadn't slept at all since this whole ordeal with the cursed music box and the Dream World began. It was about time her friend had a chance to rest and catch up on her sleep. Besides, Belle had had quite enough of sleep for the time being, so she wasn't even remotely tempted by the bed.

When she was done primping, Belle heard a knock on the door. Without hesitation, she headed over to answer it, thinking it was Jefferson checking up on them after being treated by Camelot's team of healers. However, she was instead met by Arthur, who was being flanked by two servants.

"I hope you'll forgive the intrusion, Lady Belle," Arthur began. "But I thought you would care for some food."

"Oh, thank you," Belle replied, glancing at the fruit, cheese, bread and flagon of wine that the two servants were carrying. "That was very kind." Smiling in appreciation, she stepped aside to allow the servants to bring the food and drink into the room and set them down on the ottoman bench. Once their task was complete, they slipped out of the room with respectful bows. As they left, Arthur continued to speak to Belle.

"I see your friend has already decided to retire for the evening," he commented, looking over at Ruby's sleeping form.

"Yes, I don't blame her," Belle said. "She hasn't had the chance to sleep in days. She must be exhausted."

"Of course, she was keeping watch over you and your friend, the hatter, while the two of you were stuck in the Dream World," Arthur stated, nodding in understanding.

"How is Jefferson?" Belle asked. "I haven't seen him since he was taken down to the infirmary."

"I trust he'll be along shortly," Arthur assured. "Our healers will be needing to prepare a fresh poultice for his injury, so that might take some time. But I was really wanting to talk to _you_ about something."

"What about?"

"Well, I was told that you were in the process of collecting the dangerous objects that were stored in the Dark One's castle and properly disposing of them, or at least securing them so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. And that this was an idea that you came up with, after the Dark One died?"

"Yes, that's true," Belle confirmed. "Rumpelstiltskin is dead. He died stopping an enemy from enslaving Storybrooke."

"I admit, I was surprised to hear he died. I'd always believed that the Dark One could only be killed by that dagger of his."

"Well, in a way, he _was_ killed by the dagger."

"Is that right? Who was wielding it? If it's not too bold of me to ask."

"He was. It's….a bit hard to explain." With that, Belle did her best to explain how Rumpelstiltskin brought about an end to Pan, killing himself in the process.

"So you're saying….he and this Pan both disappeared?" Arthur asked when Belle was finished.

"Yes, that's right."

"Then, if you'll forgive me, how do you know he died, if there was no body?"

"Well, I…." Belle trailed off, unable to formulate an answer.

"And what of his dagger?" Arthur persisted. "Did it disappear, too? Perhaps it simply was transported somewhere else."

"I don't think….."

"Weren't _you_ his lover at the time? Surely _you_ have some idea where he and his dagger would have gone to."

Belle could only stare at Arthur, taken aback by his subtle shift in demeanor. The moment he began talking about the dagger, his eyes had grown wide in an almost manic fervor. Before she could recover from her shock, a distraction arrived in the form of Jefferson.

"Ah, Hatter," Arthur greeted, his attitude seemingly turning on a dime once again. "How are you fairing?"

"Quite well, thank you," he answered. "The poultice your healers prepared didn't smell very pleasant, but it seems to be doing the trick. The cuts don't even sting anymore."

"Excellent! Well, I trust you're all tired after your ordeal. I shall leave you to retire for the evening."

After sharing a few more pleasantries, Arthur turned and walked out. But Belle couldn't stop feeling shaken by what the legendary king had been saying before Jefferson had unknowingly interrupted.

"Belle?" Jefferson spoke gently, noticing the expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

"I…I just have a bad feeling about staying here," Belle admitted. "Before you arrived, Arthur was asking me questions. About Rumple. And his dagger. Too many questions. It just…made me uneasy. He seemed a bit _too_ interested in that dagger, and seemed to think it had been simply transported somewhere. He was asking me where I thought it might have gone, and…something just didn't feel right. It almost felt like he wanted to _find_ the dagger. But for what, I have no idea."

"Hmmm," Jefferson frowned in contemplation. "Okay. We probably shouldn't stay here, then."

"Wait, you're saying we just… _leave_?" Belle gaped, surprised by the suggestion.

"Well, you said yourself something doesn't feel right, I don't think I need to remind you that we'd probably both be dead if it hadn't been for your quick thinking in the Dream World. Arthur may have helped treat my wounds and offered us a place to stay for the night, but if you're not comfortable staying here and feel that something might be off about him, then I'm certainly not going to make you stay. And I'm sure Ruby would agree with me."

"But…what if I'm right and Arthur _is_ after that dagger? If he thinks I know where it is, he's hardly going to let us leave."

"That's why we wait until everyone is asleep."

"And what about the guards? There'll bound to be some patrolling the halls. How are we supposed to get past them? There's no way we can make it out through the front gates without being detected."

"Fortunately, I happen to be….somewhat familiar with this castle. There happens to be a passageway that we could take that would bring us out of the castle, without bringing us anywhere near the front gates. It's located in the treasure hold. As long as we can get there, we'll be able to get out. As for the guards? Just leave them to me."

"Wait, you mean you've been here before?" Bella asked, looking at him in surprise.

"Once," Jefferson replied. "Back when I was still a portal-jumping thief. It's where I met Priscilla."

Belle's eyes widened at the mention of Jefferson's late wife, but he didn't seem to be affected by it. Instead, he simply continued on.

"Now, as much as I'd like to let her sleep, it would probably be best that you wake up Ruby to let her know our plans have changed. I'm going to head back to my room to get things ready. I'll come back to fetch you both in a few hours."

Without another word, Jefferson turned and left the room. For a brief moment, Belle stood unmoving, warring with the urge to go after him, but she quickly decided against it. Realizing time was of the essence, she headed over to the bed to wake up Ruby in order to fill her in.

* * *

The waning moon was just beginning its decent in the sky when Jefferson crawled out through a hidden pit in the ground, emerging out of the passageway that led out from the royal treasure hold. After looking around cautiously for anyone who might be nearby, he turned back to the hole to help Belle and Ruby climb out after him.

So far, their escape plan had been doing down without a hitch, And, thanks to the special tea Jefferson had given to the guards on duty, they had been met with no interference as they'd made their way through the castle corridors. But, just as they were nearing the woods, the booming sound of a steeple bell split through the air, causing the three of them to jump in alarm. It was clear their absence had just been discovered.

Immediately, they broke into a run, hurrying into the surrounding forest. Even as they ran, they wondered how they were going to pull off a successful escape. If the Camelot knights were using horses, there was no way they could possibly outrun them.

"Wait!" Ruby suddenly whispered, utilizing her heightened sense of night vision. "Over there!" Looking over in the direction Ruby was pointing in, Belle and Jefferson could just make out the remains of a fallen hollow tree. The opening looked to be a snug fit, but it still looked like it could provide a temporary hiding place for them.

Realizing there was no time to lose, they quickly made their way over to the hollowed out log, crouching into it. Once they were completely inside, they huddled together in silence, barely daring to breathe. After what felt like an eternity, they heard the sound of a fair sized group of men walking through the woods. And, though the small cracks in the hollow log's bark, they could make out no less than five men dressed in bright red Camelot tunics, walking past with torches held alight. For one heart-stopping minute, it looked as if one of the men were making their way over to their hiding place. But, just when he was nearly upon them, Arthur's voice spoke up.

"Let's keep going, men," he said. "They couldn't have gone too far."

Despite their relief, Jefferson, Belle and Ruby didn't dare to release the breaths they'd been holding until the sound of footfalls had faded away. Even then, it was a good five minutes before they felt it was safe to move. Glancing over at Belle and Ruby for a moment, Jefferson made up his mind and slowly slipped out of their hiding place to check if the coast was clear, turning a deaf ear to a slight whimper of worry that slipped out of Belle's throat. Silently, he glanced around at the still forest, searching for any sign of movement. When he was confident that they were safe, he turned to tell his friends it was alright to come out. But before he could open his mouth, someone grabbed him from behind and a sword blade appeared at his throat.

"I don't know who you are," a harsh voice hissed into his ear. "But considering you're clearly trying to evade those guards, I can only suspect you're up to no good. So state your business."

"Let him go!" Ruby demanded, emerging from the hollow log with Belle close behind. In response to the demand, the armored woman holding Jefferson captive turned towards them, seemingly sizing Ruby up. But the moment she looked over at Belle, her expression softened in surprise, and she released her hold on Jefferson.

"Belle?" the armored woman gaped, simply staring in amazement. Hearing the woman call her by name, Belle took a moment to really look at her face, and her own expression lit up.

"Mulan! It's you!"

"You two know each other?" Jefferson asked, rubbing the spot on his neck where the sword blade was moments earlier.

"Our paths crossed once years ago," Mulan explained. "Before the Dark Curse was cast, I had been tasked to hunt down a creature that was ravaging multiple kingdoms. Belle proved to be an invaluable ally in my mission. If it hadn't been for her, that beast would never have been brought down."

"Well, to be fair, it wasn't an _actual_ monster," Belle pointed out. "Phillip had simply been turned into one by a curse."

"What are you doing back here?" Mulan asked.

"I'm sorry, but there's really no time to explain. We have to get away from here quickly, before Arthur and his knights find us," Ruby stated.

"So they _are_ after you," Mulan concluded.

"Yes, and if they catch up to us, Arthur might _never_ let us leave," Belle said. "For whatever reason, he wants to know about the Dark One's dagger. I don't know exactly what he's after, but whatever it is, it can't be good."

For a tense moment, Mulan stood unmoving, looking between Belle and the surrounding woods.

"Alright then," she said at last. "Come with me. I know of how you might be able to get away."

"Thank you, Mulan," Belle sighed in relief. Mulan nodded in response, but silently led the three friends away, heading deeper into the forest.

After they had been traveling for what felt like miles, Mulan stopped by a large rocky outcrop that was covered almost entirely by moss.

"For a brief period of time," she announced, "I had traveled the land with a group that was led by a man called Robin. He was the one who told me about this place." As Mulan spoke, she pulled aside a thick blanket of moss, revealing a hidden crevice within the rock, one wide enough for a human to walk through. Braced within the crevice was a heavy looking green curtain.

"That's a door portal," Jefferson realized.

"It leads to a place called Oz," Mulan confirmed. "If you really need to evade those guards, then it would be prudent of you to take the portal. I doubt they know it's here, so they won't be able to follow you through it."

"Thanks again, Mulan," Belle smiled in gratitude. "For everything."

"Of course. Now hurry up. Those guards are still coming," Mulan instructed. Looking over their shoulders, Ruby, Jefferson and Belle saw the lights of torches were indeed growing closer. Deciding not to waste any time, they ventured through the green curtain, with Belle giving Mulan one final smile.

On the other side of the curtain, the three friends immediately found themselves standing on a road constructed with yellow bricks. And in the distance, there was what appeared to be a castle that glowed with a brilliant green light.

"Oh!" Belle gasped. "Jefferson, _this_ is what you were speaking of before, wasn't it? When you mentioned cities constructed of emeralds."

"Yes, that is the actual Emerald City," Jefferson confirmed. "Although, it will be strange to venture there for honest reasons. The last time I was here, I was performing a task for Rumpelstiltskin."

It was at that moment that Ruby tried to mask a sudden yawn, but to no avail.

"Ruby, I'm sorry!" Belle exclaimed. "We really _should_ find a place for you to get a full-nights rest."

"Fortunately, I know of a place," Jefferson commented. "The last time I was here, I noticed a few cottages that seemed to have been standing empty for some time now. I'm sure we can stop there for the night."

* * *

Sure enough, there were indeed two slightly run-down cottages standing along the yellow brick road, halfway to the Emerald City. While Belle and Ruby selected the larger one for the night, Jefferson ended up trying to make the second hut a bit more habitable for the evening. As he busied himself with shaking out the patchwork quilt that had been draped over the wooden bed in the corner of the one-room hut, he contemplated how strange it felt to be back to sleeping in cottages again. Considering how he and Grace had once lived in an old shack like this one, he thought it would feel like second nature. But after 28 years, he must have grown accustomed to the bed back at his mansion in Storybrooke. Now cottages like this felt foreign and strange.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt someone's eyes on him. Turning, he noticed Belle was standing in the doorway, simply looking at him.

"I never got the chance to thank you," Belle began, cutting to the chase. "For coming into the Dream World after me. You knew that you could have died if something went wrong, but you still came after me."

"Of course I did," Jefferson said without hesitation. "I wasn't about to just leave you in there, was I?" Belle gave him a small smile in response to that statement. But there was a slight hint of hesitation in her expression, something Jefferson quickly picked up on, despite her efforts to mask it. "Belle? Is something wrong?" In response to the question, Belle shifted nervously for a moment, working up the courage to say what she wanted to say. After taking a steadying breath she managed to force out the question.

"Back in the Dream World, there was something you were trying to say," she recalled. "But Epiales interrupted before you could finish. I just…was wondering what the rest of your sentence was going to be."

At first, Jefferson could only frown in confusion, racking his brains as he tried to remember what Belle was referring to. When he finally remembered, however, his breath caught in his throat.

"Oh," he breathed out, hoping that he wasn't actually blushing.

"You remember, then," Belle concluded.

"Yes, I…I remember I was saying something."

"And…how was that sentence going to end?" Belle prompted.

It was only then that Jefferson realized Belle had moved closer to him, and for a few seconds, his mind went completely blank. When he noticed Belle was still looking up at him expectantly, he gave himself a mental shake.

"I…I don't know how I was going to finish that sentence," he admitted. "Because…I didn't want to speak for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Belle, while I know we've agreed that there was something between us, we've never really discussed what that was. It just felt…wrong to try and place a label on what this is; what _we_ are. Not when I wasn't completely sure that it was a label you would have agreed to."

As Belle took in what Jefferson said, she felt the corners of her mouth curve upward slightly, realizing what he was saying. His reluctance to assign a specific word to describe their relationship was due to him wanting to have her feedback on the matter first.

"Okay," Belle said at last. "Then…I have just one question for you, Jefferson."

"What's that?"

"If it was up to you, how would _you_ describe it?" Jefferson responded with a strained laugh, shaking his head.

"I _can't_ describe it," he admitted. "Belle, all I know is….when you were cursed by Epiales and trapped in that Dream World, I was terrified. I was just _so_ afraid that you'd never wake up. Up until now, there have only been two times in my life when I felt true crippling pain. The first was when I lost Pricilla to the Match Hare's arrows, and the second time was when I was trapped in Wondaland, unable to get home to Grace. But that moment? When I saw you trapped in an eternal dream state, with no one knowing if we could revive you? It felt as if…my _whole world_ was ending once again."

For a long moment, Belle could only look at Jefferson, completely blown away by his words. But after a long minute, she noticed they had unconsciously moved even closer. Shortly after she noticed that detail, it suddenly dawned on her that this was the first time she and Jefferson were truly alone together since they got out of the Dream World. And, if the expression on Jefferson's face was any indication, he was realizing the same thing.

Ever so slowly, Jefferson lifted his hand and cupped Belle's cheek, his thumb lightly brushing against the corner of her mouth. Vaguely, Belle thought she could just hear Jefferson whisper her name, but she found that she didn't want to think. All she wanted right now was to just feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really hope that was a satisfactory place to end this chapter.  I also hope I didn't lose anyone with how they ended up in Oz.  It occurred to me while writing this that they never explained how Robin ended up in Oz during the 'Heart of Gold' flashback, or how Ruby and Mulan got there in 'Ruby Slippers.'  So I just figured I'd make it that there was a secret portal to Oz that both Robin and Mulan knew about.


	9. The Morning After

The first thing Belle was consciously aware of was the comfortable warmth surrounding her. Opening her eyes, she found herself enveloped in Jefferson’s arms, her head resting atop his bare chest, which was gently rising and falling in time with his steady breathing. Moving carefully so she wouldn’t disturb him, Belle lifted her head to glace at his face. As she suspected, he was still sleeping, a soft, easy expression on his face. After taking a few moments to study his face, her eyes fell to his neck, and the long line of raised flesh that she knew encircled all the way around. Before she could change her mind, Belle carefully lifted a hand to gently run her finger over the old scar, remembering the story behind it. She couldn’t blame him in the slightest for always trying to hide it with a scarf. At the same time, she wondered if he’d ever feel at peace enough with his past to forgo the scarves for good.

It was at that moment that Belle realized Jefferson’s eyes were opened and focused on her.

“Oh!” Belle gasped as she started to pull her hand away from his neck, feeling slightly embarrassed at being caught. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Her words trailed off when Jefferson’s hand darted out, catching her wrist.

“Please,” Jefferson said, gazing up at her. “Don’t stop.”

“You…don’t mind?”

“No. You have no idea how good that feels; knowing you aren’t repulsed by it.”

Returning Jefferson’s smile, Belle went back to running her fingers over the scar while he simply closed his eyes in contentment. After a while, she bent down to place a gentle kiss against the scar tissue, an act that released a soft moan from Jefferson’s throat.

At that moment, without any noticeable provocation, Belle let out a small laugh.

“What is it?” Jefferson’s eyes snapped open again, focusing on Belle’s face. To his surprise, her cheeks now were tinged by an obvious blush.

“Did…did last night really happen?” Belle asked, biting her lip slightly. Immediately, a large smile appeared on Jefferson’s face. Propping himself up on his elbow, he pulled Belle into a deep, languid kiss. When they came up for air, Jefferson continued to press his forehead against Belle’s, breathing her in.

“Last night really happened,” he whispered. After a beat, he pulled back to look Belle in the eyes. There was a distinct note of wariness in his expression. “Do you regret it?”

In response to that question, Belle frowned, but not in annoyance. She was simply thinking back over everything that happened the night before. Every touch, every movement, every look, every kiss. Before she knew it, she was smiling warmly, gazing down at Jefferson, who seemed to be worried about what her answer would be. Without hesitation, she closed the distance between them to kiss him.

“No,” she replied. “I don’t regret it. Not one moment. Do you?”

“No. Not one moment.”

With that, the pair were once again locked in an ardent but tender embrace, Belle’s fingers burying themselves in Jefferson’s hair while he his hands glided up and down her back. Just when passion was starting to grow, the sound of a growling stomach was heard, disrupting the moment.

“Right,” Jefferson muttered, chuckling lightly along with Belle as they broke the kiss. “We probably _should_ focus on finding something for breakfast.”

“Must we?” Belle sighed, still feeling the euphoria of the moment.

”Oh, believe me, I would _love_ to stay here in bed with you,” Jefferson replied with an earsplitting grin. “But we probably should at least get dressed, in case Ruby comes looking for us.”

After one more lingering kiss, the lovers reluctantly left the confines of the bed and began wordlessly dressing themselves. Every so often, however, they would sneak not-so covert looks at one another, unable to keep themselves from smiling. When they had finally finished, they left the old shack together. It was only then that Belle glanced up and began to lightly chuckle.

“What?” Jefferson asked, turning back to her.

“Your hair,” Belle giggled. “It’s all mussed up.” As she spoke, Belle reached up to try and smooth out Jefferson’s bed head. For a second or two, Jefferson simply let her try to tame his unruly hair, but as the casual intimacy to the action sank in, he began to look down at her with a gentle gaze. Smiling softly, he reached out to take hold of her waist, pulling her closer. When Belle met his eyes, it was clear she was once again on the same page as he was, especially when she got up onto her toes to meet him halfway as he moved in for another kiss. This time, they only pulled apart when they heard someone clearing their throat. In unison, Belle and Jefferson glanced over to see Ruby standing nearby, watching them with in obvious amusement.

“Do you two want to be alone?” she asked cheekily.

“No, it’s alright, Ruby,” Belle said, blushing profusely while Jefferson shook his head in mild embarrassment. “We were just about to go out to find something for breakfast.”

“Well, we’re in luck, then,” Ruby announced. “I found what looks like an old vegetable garden that was left to grow fallow. But there are still some plants growing there. Maybe we can find something we can eat.”

“Hmmm. Perhaps we can even make some turnip soup,” Jefferson mused.

As the three friends started to make their way to the garden to see what they could find, however, Ruby suddenly froze in place, holding up a hand.

“Wait!” she instructed, sniffing the air around her. “There’s someone else here.” Cautiously, everyone began to look around, scanning the area around them for movement. Even so, Belle still jumped slightly when something emerged from a nearby bush. But she felt pretty silly a second or two later when she saw what it was.

“A dog,” Jefferson sighed in relief at the sight of the small grey dog, who was looking back at them almost curiously, letting out an occasional bark.

“Hey,” Ruby said, crouching down in front of the dog, reaching out to pet his head. “I wonder if this is who I think it is.”

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” an unfamiliar voice announced. When everyone turned in the direction the voice was coming from, they saw an angry looking woman pointing a crossbow at them. The moment the presence of the crossbow fully registered, Ruby leapt to her feet and Jefferson instinctively moved to shield Belle.

“Toto only barks for one reason,” the woman continued, keeping her weapon trained on them. “It’s when he has sniffed out a witch. So who is it? Who's the witch?”

Cautiously, Jefferson, Belle and Ruby exchanged wary glances. After a brief pause, Ruby cleared her throat and stepped forward.

“He's not barking because I'm a witch,” she explained. “It's...well….I'm... I'm part wolf. But there's nothing to be scared of!”

“She’s right!” Belle insisted, seeing the woman tightening her grip on the crossbow. “Ruby is in full control when she transforms.”

For a moment, the woman silently looked between the three friends, seemingly unsure. But just when she was opening her mouth to speak, a second voice was heard.

“Dorothy? What’s going on?” Seconds later, another woman appeared. Immediately, Belle let out a soft gasp of recognition.

“Wait, I know you,” she said. “You’re Glinda, the witch of Oz who helped tell us how to defeat Zelena!” When Glinda turned towards Belle, she smiled kindly. It was clear she also recognized Belle.

“It’s alright, Dorothy,” Glinda said, turning to the younger woman. “These three are our friends. They’re part of the group that helped defeat Zelena a few months ago.” In response to that statement, Dorothy finally lowered the crossbow, but she continued to eye Ruby cautiously.

“What brings you to Oz?” she asked.

“It’s quite a long story,” Jefferson answered.

“Well, that’s quite alright,” Glinda said, continuing to smile. “You can tell us all about it on the way to the Emerald City.”

* * *

Sometime later, Glinda entered the throne room of the Emerald City, the others following close behind. They had just finished relating their story to Glinda.

“It sounds like you three had quite the adventure,” Glinda said. “I’m glad you made it through alright.”

“I’m glad to see you were able to escape from that pocket dimension you were trapped in,” Belle replied.

“Yes, when you defeated the Wicked Witch, all her spells were broken, and I was set free.” After a pause, Glinda’s face softened in concern. “May I ask what became of Zelena? In spite of everything, she was still my friend once. Someone I thought of as a sister.”

“She’s still alive, if that’s what you’re asking,” Jefferson answered. “When we left on the expedition into the Enchanted Forest, she was being kept under lock and key. I think Regina is hoping to convince her to try for a second chance, but it’s anyone’s guess how _that_ will go.”

“That is true,” Glinda allowed. “In the end, it really will be up to her to decide her fate. It’s what I tried to tell her before. I hope she’ll come to realize it, too.

“But enough about that. Let’s talk about you. What do you plan on doing now?”

“Well, we probably should start finding a way to get back to the Dark Castle,” Belle surmised. “Leroy, Astrid and the other fairies will be worried about us.”

“Then you’re in luck!” Glinda announced. “Dorothy, it so happens, has a special pair of magical slippers. With them, she can take you back to the Enchanted Forest so you can rejoin your friends.”

“Ah, of course,” Jefferson commented with a distant look on his face, clearly remembering something. “The slippers. I’ve heard about _them_.” When he noticed the bemused look Glinda and Belle were giving him, however, he gave a slight jerk of the head. “Long story.”

“Hey, where _is_ Dorothy?” Belle asked, suddenly noticing the woman in question was no longer present.

“For that matter,” Jefferson added, noticing someone else was missing, “where’s Ruby?”

* * *

Elsewhere, Ruby cautiously looked in on Dorothy as she sat in an otherwise empty room just off the throne room. She had noticed her slipping out with Toto while Glinda was talking with Jefferson and Belle. Feeling a note of concern, Ruby had decided to follow.

“Hey,” Ruby began after a lengthy pause, announcing her presence. “I just wanted to say…I’m sorry if we got off on the wrong foot.”

“It’s fine,” Dorothy replied shortly. “I know you and your friends helped stop the Wicked Witch, and I’m grateful for that.”

If Dorothy was going to say anything more, she never got the chance. It was at that moment that Toto hopped out of her lap and made his way over to Ruby, sniffing at her boots. Without a thought, Ruby crouched down to scratch at the little dog’s ears, but before she could do so, she noticed Dorothy tense up.

“Hey, you okay?” Ruby asked in concern. “I’m not going to hurt him, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Dorothy looked up sharply, her eyes wide in alarm, but then her expression shifted into mild embarrassment and annoyance.

“Sorry,” she apologized, visibly chastised. “I just… Toto’s very important to me.”

“He’s more than just a pet, isn’t he?” Ruby speculated. Briefly, Dorothy cast her a half-hearted glare, but she ended up explaining anyway.

“The first time I visited Oz, I was just a kid. I wasn't here long, but when I went back to Kansas, I told my family what happened.”

“What? They didn't believe you?”

“They tried to have me committed.”

“I'm sorry,” Ruby apologized, her face displaying her sympathy.

“Don't be,” Dorothy shrugged. “Showed me who my _real_ family was- Aunt Em. She believed me. She kept me from getting locked up.”

“Is she still back in Kansas?” Ruby asked, finding herself thinking about Granny and wondering how the two woman would get along.

“She died not long after that,” Dorothy admitted. “But just before she did, she gave me Toto. He's all I have left of her. He's the only one who understands me.”

For a long moment, the two women stood in silence, with Dorothy staring straight ahead and Ruby feeing a fresh wave of sympathy for the woman in front of her.

“You know,” Ruby began, speaking cautiously, “I understand what it's like to feel like you don't belong anywhere.”

“Really, Wolfie?” Dorothy scoffed. “Your family tried to have you committed?”

“No, my entire village ran me out of town.”

“Really?” For the first time, Dorothy met her gaze with visible interest.

“With torches and pitchforks.”

“Because you're a wolf?”

“I didn't always know I was, and I certainly didn't back then,” Ruby stated with a small shrug. “I wasn't in control. And one night, I accidentally... killed my boyfriend.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. I lived on the run after that, and... I eventually learned to control my power. I even made some friends along the way. Friends who stood by me, even though they knew what I was.”

“I suppose having friends can make a difference,” Dorothy allowed.

“They really do,” Ruby agreed. After another brief pause, Ruby looked down at Toto, who was still blinking up at her. “So… do I have permission to pet him?”

Dorothy didn’t reply right away, but she eventually gave a short nod of affirmation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies to anyone reading this who didn't like Ruby/Dorothy. I agree that it was slightly rushed and forced in canon. But since it is still canon, I thought it best to include it in. Also, this chapter was my attempt to rectify the fact that they never explained or showed what happened to Glinda after Zelena was defeated at the end of the Wizard of Oz arc.
> 
> Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Next one should be the final chapter for this story. Thank you to everyone who took the chance to read this, and an even bigger thank you to those who left reviews.


	10. Home (Epilogue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll probably notice that this story leaves off where Once Upon a Christmastime begins. We've come full circle now.
> 
> I hope everyone is liking this canon divergence series so far. The next installment should be up fairly soon. Be on the lookout for Frozen in Darkness.

* * *

It was about a mile away from the Dark Castle that Dorothy materialized, with Jefferson, Belle and Ruby in tow.

“Looks like this is as close as I can get you,” Dorothy announced. “This Rumpelstiltskin might be gone, but there are still some enchantments lingering around his old castle that prevent me from getting anywhere closer with the slippers.”

“No, this is fine!” Belle insisted. “We don’t mind walking the rest of the way. Thanks again for your help.”

“And if you’re interested,” Ruby added. “You’re more than welcome to visit Storybrooke sometime. I’m sure everyone would be more than welcoming.”

“I’ll think about it,” Dorothy replied.

With one last nod of acknowledgement at the three friends, Dorothy clicked her heals, activating the power within her slippers to return to Oz. Once she was gone, Ruby, Jefferson and Belle made their way along the path that led to the Dark Castle. When they were still a ways away, however, they heard a familiar voice shouting out.

“They’re back! They’re coming back!”

“Well, I see Leroy is still in good voice,” Ruby quipped, shaking her head as the front gates opened up, allowing the fairies to hurry out to greet them.

“Belle, it’s great to see you!” Astrid exclaimed. “We’re so glad you’re awake.”

“I’m sorry for worrying all of you,” Belle said, looking sheepish.

“Don’t even worry about it. No one blames you for what happened.”

“So, what did we miss while we were gone?” Ruby asked.

“We’ve actually finished clearing out the vault,” one of the fairies announced. “Only a few artifacts haven’t been properly deciphered and cataloged. Like that strange golden urn. We’re probably going to have to take them back with us. Maybe Mother Superior will know what to do with them.”

As Ruby and Belle conversed with Astrid and the other fairies, Jefferson found himself face to face with Leroy.

“Hey, Hatter,” Leroy began, seemingly unable to quite meet his eyes. “Thanks. Thanks for getting Belle back for us.”

“I’d do it again,” Jefferson replied without hesitation.

“Yes,” Leroy agreed after a brief pause. “I suppose you would. Perhaps I _was_ too hard on you before.”

“Perhaps?” Jefferson scoffed.

“Don’t push it,” Leroy grumbled. But it was with a lopsided smile that the dwarf held out a hand in a clear invitation of a civil handshake. And invitation that Jefferson accepted.

* * *

Anton moved through his bean field, making sure the tarps covering the bean plants were secured and the ground was fully covered by a lair of mulch and leaves. Doc had informed him that there would be a huge blizzard hitting the town in a few days’ time, so he wanted to make sure everything was properly insulated from the approaching cold weather. When the bean field had been burned by an angry Regina months ago, it had taken all of his skill to salvage the beans. But he now had to make extra sure the remaining plants stayed healthy and strong. Even now, he wasn’t sure how hardy the new crop was, and he therefore had to do everything he could to protect it. So he was grateful that Happy, Bashful and Dopey had come out to give him a hand.

Just when he was testing the ropes holding down a tarp, a sudden noise caught his attention. He looked up over his shoulder just in time to see Jefferson, Belle, Ruby, Leroy, Astrid and the other fairies who had left on the Enchanted Forest expedition appearing through a magic bean portal, landing a short distance from the road.

“You’re back!” Happy cried out, leading the way to the expedition members, being the first one to reach them. As Leroy broke apart from the returning group to reunite with his brothers, Anton turned to adress the others.

“Welcome back,” he greeted. “How did your mission go?”

“There were a few bumps along the way,” Astrid stated. “Overall, it was a success, though. But we should get this chest back to the convent. It’s filled with the few items we could not decipher or identify. Hopefully, Mother Superior can figure out what to do with them.”

“Of course. We’ll give you all a ride back into town when we’re finished up here,” Anton announced, gesturing to the bean field.

“What’s going on with the bean field?” Ruby asked.

“There’s talk of a snowstorm on the way. We were weatherproofing the beans to keep them safe from the weather.”

“A snowstorm?” Belle repeated, glancing up at the sky. “Well, looks like we timed our return perfectly. I wouldn’t have wanted to have come back in that sort of weather.”

“Exactly what’s the date today?” Jefferson inquired. “We sort of lost track of the days while we were gone.”

“Oh, it’s the 19th of December,” Bashful replied.

“Wow! That _was_ good timing!” Ruby exclaimed. “Imagine if we’d missed Christmas.”

In no time at all, Anton and the dwarfs were helping the fairies load the chest filled with the remaining artifacts in the back of David’s old truck, which he’d allowed them to borrow in order to tend to the bean field. As they worked, Belle noticed that Jefferson had physically distanced himself from the others, silently looking down at the enchanted compact mirror he’d used to keep in touch with Grace while they were away. Without hesitation, Belle stepped over to his side, casually taking his hand once she reached him.

“Is everything alright?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s just… what Ruby said. About missing Christmas,” he clarified. “I don’t know what I’d have done if we had. Especially since….it would be the first Christmas in Storybrooke when Grace remembered who she was. Who _I_ was. If we hadn’t made it back in time….”

“Yes, I think I can understand that,” Belle agreed. “From what I heard about Christmas, it wouldn’t feel quite as special if you _know_ someone isn’t there.”

“That’s right,” Jefferson realized with a sad frown. “You haven’t been able to experience Christmas in Storybrooke at all.”

“No, this would be my first,” Belle admitted.

“Well….maybe we should do something about that.”

“Like what?”

“Well, we’ve all been gone for months now. And people in this town have a tendency to throw parties when people come back from extended absences. I remember seeing them hold a potluck for Emma and Mary Margret after they got back from their unplanned trip into the Enchanted Forest. Maybe we can beat them to the punch by throwing our _own_ party, in honor of the holiday.”

“You’d be only with that?” Belle asked, visibly surprised. “I mean…you never struck me as a very sociable person.”

“That’s true,” Jefferson allowed with a shrug. “But…I think we’ve _both_ spent enough Christmases alone.”

“Also true,” Belle agreed with a smile.

For a brief moment, the pair stood in comfortable silence, watching as Anton secured the chest in place with some leftover ropes. But then Jefferson remembered something he’d been meaning to say since the Dream World.

“Belle?”

“Yes?” Belle asked, immediately looking over at him.

“I just wanted you to know. If I _had_ gone to the Dark Castle back then? I would have noticed you.”

At those words, Belle’s face broke into a wide smile, hearing the underlining meaning to Jefferson’s statement. He was telling her that, if their paths had crossed back in the days before the Dark Curse, then things between them would have played out almost exactly as they had in the Dream World. Even if he hadn’t had memories of her beforehand, he still would have approached her. Maybe even opened up to her about his past, and what happened to his family. It was his way of saying he would have wanted to be with her, regardless of how and when they met. And so, not caring that they had an audience, she closed the distance between them, initiating a heartfelt kiss that Jefferson returned with earnest.


End file.
